I am writing this after my first day at the Sacred Threads exhibition. I have never been to a show like this one. The stories behind the quilts are an integral part of the display. The story is written on the signage describing each quilt; and in addition, the viewer has the option to call a number (provided by the venue) to hear the artist tell a more complete story in their own words.
The viewing of the quilts in this show put me through an emotional roller coaster. All of the quilts in the exhibit illicit some type of emotional response, because they are about feelings of true joy, inspiration, spirituality, healing, grief, or peace & brotherhood. Through these special quilts, artists have entrusted their innermost feelings to the viewers of this show.
To me, the most touching section of the show is the section about grief. The venue even strategically placed Kleenex boxes around the section. Penny Gold's pieces were SO powerful; these two pieces stopped me in my tracks.
About the quilt above, Penny says, "By the second year after the death of my son, the persistent sense of grief and loss had become invisible to others. From the outside (the lavender side of the quilt), all looked normal. But underneath the surface, a fundamental change in identity was being shaped. Only after choosing the color, did I learn that lavender was the Victorian color of mourning, allowed after black had been worn for a period of time."
Make sure you zoom in so you can read the words on Penny's quilt below. It is self-explanatory and will take your breath away.
The Sacred Threads committee has made a book (called "Sacred Threads Exhibition 2015") and a flash drive containing all the audio recordings available for purchase. I bought a book today; I'm heading back tomorrow to purchase the audio. (I didn't have time to listen to all of the audio I wanted to today.)
Posted with Blogsy
3 comments:
I don't know how I feel about reading this post...it is so sad...so emotional...I felt like I knew this young man!! But thanks for sharing...certainly makes you think about who we have with us and how quickly they can be taken away......
You bet I will be back. Sniff sniff... This is such a cathartic experience. Just so beautiful.
I had to send this to someone I know who has experienced a similar grief. Everyone keeps telling her she should be over it. =P Thanks for sharing this.
Post a Comment