Do Not Avoid Using Words
Phil Jones
33 x 45 inches
2022
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Phil Jones's current interest in fiber art began in 1990 when he created several panels for the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. He then began making art quilts—intended as wall hangings, as opposed to the traditional bed quilt—as a broader creative pursuit. Having learned to sew on his grandmother's treadle sewing machine at 5 years old, Phil pursued clothing construction starting in his late teens. It was natural, then, to make the transition to using fiber as an expressive medium in adulthood.
Phil's interest in art began in his teens. After studying the Impressionist masters in school, he spent a summer in Europe as an exchange student. During this time, he had the opportunity to gain exposure to many other art genres. He has been influenced by the Western art world, as well as through his studies of Eastern Asian and Indigenous art forms. He has undertaken extended studies of traditional as well as non-traditional art and craft forms.
Employing various surface design techniques—including hand-dyeing and painting—Jones' work is
implemented with textiles and fibers using a combination of hand and machine methods. Working in series, Jones explores ideas and themes in his medium. As a crossover artist, he experiments with fine art aesthetics and techniques through a traditional craft medium.
Phil's work has been featured in American Craft, Fiberarts, Quilter's Newsletter, Surface Design Journal, and Quilting Arts magazines, as well as several book publications. His website is www.phildjones.com.
Phil lives and works in Topeka, KS.
ARTIST STATEMENT
This work is from my Mechanic of Color series. I approach this work as painting. A quick sketch on paper is executed at 1:12 scale. My canvas is cotton batting and backing. My palette is hand-dyed cotton broadcloth. My rotary cutter makes brush strokes while stitching is my palette knife, both joining colors and adding textures.
This work is about tension and balance. Color and texture play pivotal roles in expressing my intention with the work. I enjoy exploring the visual effects of transparency with color and value shifts, fore/background reversal within the picture plane, the halo effect of abutted high key colors, and the horizon effect. Individual work titles provide a mystery.
From the inspiration found in the world around me, I am compelled to make art objects. It is neither choice nor desire, but a vital need, like air or water. I find nourishment in each piece of work and satisfaction upon completion. For me, the main task at hand is to stay out of the way and let the process unfold.
I am enthralled with the animated line, so I abstain from rulers, straight edges, and templates. I cut freely and directly into fabrics, using only my eye as a guide. I love unexpected color shifts and gradations, as well as high contrast color combinations. I love fabrics and surface design and love putting them together in some sort of composition driven only by my intuition. I like exploring various optical effects in my work, especially transparency and shifting foreground/background. I am interested in creating works that explore aesthetic concerns but at the same time are often anchored in the traditional motifs of stripes, checkerboards, borders, and binding found in more traditional quilts.
The work intentionally pursues the idea of “future artifact”–an object that excavates a mystery of meaning, that provokes a second gaze or a closer look. Surface design and the high key color indicative of my work are employed here to effect. The juxtaposition of color value and frequency echoes the energetic intensity I experience in the world. Inevitably, the work speaks of my inner thoughts and feelings to the outside world.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
Cotton fabric, cotton threads, cotton batting, fiber reactive dyes.
Hand dying, freehand cutting, machine piecing and quilting, hand finishing.