Back to Current Exhibitions Judith Content, Squall Line, detail Photo by James Dewrance

Shadow Dance

by Judith Content

July 18 – October 4, 2020

ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION

Judith Content’s current work explores a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Japanese dye technique called arashi-shibori, also known as “pole-wrapping shibori.” In Japanese, the word arashi means storm. The term was applied to this type of resist-dyeing because the end result suggests the patterns of a driving rain.

In keeping with this evocation of a force of nature, Judith’s hand-dyed, pieced and quilted silk wall pieces are inspired by the interplay of light and shadow on waterfalls, cliffs, canyon walls, coastal wetlands, and the desert. The theme of nature’s power and beauty is particularly evident in her works Squall Line and Passage and imbue other pieces as well, such as Meltwater and Aftermath, all on display in two of our galleries.

In addition to working with 2-dimensional quilts, Judith enthusiastically explores other creative tributaries including jewelry design, painting buttons, and crocheting nests such as Dragonfly. Other sculptural fabric confections, such as El Dulce, are also on display in this exhibition.

Much of Judith’s work is made from hand-dyed silks. In dyeing fabric, she adds and subtracts colors in layers and relishes in the sometimes unexpected results. As Judith explains, “although I can control the results to a great extent, the element of surprise when the designs are revealed never fails to excite me.” Throughout her process, she relies on intuition as well as experience. Rather than taking detailed notes on various process outcomes, she allows “each dye session to enlighten the next” and finds inspiration in diverse silks that are “strewn on the studio floor, torn up, arranged and rearranged until they resonate.” When the composition is ready, she meticulously secures fragments to the design wall and, after further study and refining, she sews, quilts, and sometimes appliqués to accentuate depth or movement in the piece.

In this exhibition, Judith also converses with another iconic element of Japanese culture, the kimono. Judith enjoys working with the “the harmony and balance inherent to the kimono form” in both smaller and larger scale works. In Bittersweet, she adds “visual tension” to the kimono form by introducing “dynamic and harmonious” elements of color, pattern, and texture.

When discussing her work, Judith frequently references the Japanese poetic form of haiku. Like the haiku, her work explores the essence of an image, a memory, or a moment in time. Finding inspiration in nature’s landscapes, she addresses both personal and temporal issues in her work and explores subjects ranging from her own state of mind to the effects of wildfires and the repercussions of sea level rise. Her goal is to facilitate the viewer’s own process of reflection and understanding. As Judith puts it, “Just as haiku have different interpretations, I hope the meditative quality of my work encourages viewers to draw upon their own memories and experiences when contemplating my work.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Judith Content has been a full-time studio artist for 41 years. Her work can be found in private and public collections around the world as well as in numerous corporate settings. She has exhibited in more than 80 solo, group, juried, and invitational shows across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her artwork has also been featured in more than 25 books and catalogs, and she is a frequent presenter and panelist at textile, fiber and art quilt workshops and conferences. She is a past president of the Studio Art Quilters Association (SAQA) and a former Board member of the Textile Arts Council at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 1979 with a BA in Fine Art with an Emphasis in Textiles.

Judith was also recently featured in Craft in America, which aired on PBS. The video, QUILTS, is available, courtesy of Craft in America, to view on our website.