Existing comment:
Red Bull Cola Quilt
Myra Feely, 67, Retired
Northridge, CA
Sydna Lattemann, 60, Nanny
Pasadena, CA
"Inspired by the tradition of the early American quilting bee, we have come together to collaborate, to share, to visit, and to create quilts," say Myra Feely and Sydna Lattemann, co-creators of the "Red Bull Cola Quilt." While quilters of past centuries often made quilts for purely utilitarian needs, the quilts fashioned by these artists are non-utilitarian works of visual art. In a joint statement, the artists explain, "Incorporating today's premise of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle' into our work, we have taken this century's discards and created our quilts by merging nontraditional materials with traditional techniques."
The two innovators possess advanced degrees in fine art from California State University, Northridge, and their collective background includes experience with three-dimensional art; wood design, photography, letterpress printing, fine art printmaking, and jewelry/metal design. Because they have been using recycled cans (and other found materials) in their work for years, the prospect of creating an entry for the Washington exhibition intrigued them. To fashion their aluminum quilt, Feely and Lattemann hand cut cans into strips and wove them into 2¼" by 2¼" hardware wire modules, which were then tied together with embroidery thread to form the work's eye-catching pattern. The artists assess that the piece required 80 hours to produce. |