Thursday, July 15, 2010

Beyond Memory

Memory is such a fragile thing. We can't imagine not being able to recall the butterflies we felt on our first date, the love that overwhelmed us on our wedding day, the joy in the birth of our children. Alzheimer's disease erases our lives and leaves an empty shell where those precious memories once were.

This disease took my mother 20 years ago, and is now destroying my husband's mother. This quilt is for both of them. It's certainly not a pretty one, a very emotional one for me to do, but I tried to imagine the confusion and horror of being trapped in a body while your life unravels bit by bit.


16x20 - rusted muslin, gauze, scrim, discharged cotton, silk, lace, beads, machine thread sketching, hand quilted and embroidered, and backed with a vintage stamped tablecloth.


10 comments:

  1. This is really powerful. The sadness and exhaustion in your subject's eyes is unmistakable and evocative. They could be the eyes of victims- or of their family members who suffer along with them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you captured perfectly the ravages of this disease. Your quilt is hauntingly beautiful and yet full of pain and sadness at the same time...much like life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this piece, Meg. You did a fantastic job with it in every way!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alzheimers is a hideous disease and I think you have done a spectacular job of portraying the pain and sadness of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful Meg. You know what's funny, I actually had a very similar idea (one of many that I thought about doing) with the holes & rusted fabrics, but discarded it for a happier memory. My Grandfather had Alzheimers, as well as my aunt, & my mother always worried that she would too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your quilt represents the disease perfectly. I imagine is was quite an emotional piece to work on.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alzheimer's is an awful, awful disease and your portrayal is perfect. It's such a sad thought, knowing that someone afflicted with Alzheimer's has no memories. Your quilt is beautiful even though it is about something sad and painful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Meg this is a beautiful quilt. The imagery is very striking and there's a quiet understated power coming through from the color and surface texture.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You captured the pain...the sadness...a truly inspired piece.

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow, that face. Could be anyone, says so much. So well done.

    ReplyDelete

We'd love to hear from you!