Bloom
Irene Roderick
68 x 85 inches
2023
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork is grounded in the textile arts, focused on quilt making and fabric dyeing. I am trained as a painter, and I have always been interested in pattern and color and how these elements can evoke emotional and political responses.
“Bloom” was started as a sample quilt for a new workshop but quickly became more complex. The underlying structure is a photograph of a sidewalk crack I took on one of my morning walks. A nearby crack had a flower growing from it. No soil, a lot of hot sun, and a strong chance of being pulled or trampled. The tiny plant was holding on with resilience. “Bloom” is inspired by that strength. The urge to survive whatever the risks.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
Commercial cotton fabric, cotton/poly batting, and polyester thread.
Machine-pieced and machine longarm-quilted.