Foreclosure : Detroit Quilt

I finished the Detroit Foreclosure Quilt yesterday. This one was a different situation than my previous pieces, it should really be called Detroit Demolished. I couldn't figure out why there were no foreclosures on the maps, it's because you had to look at aerial photos of the neighborhoods to see just what happened.

Detroit Foreclosure Quilt, 2011. 22" x 44" Cheesecloth, linen and cotton.

Most of the blocks are red because most of the homes have been razed after being abandoned for several years. There are an average of forty homes on each block and hundreds of them are completely gone. Here's an example of two of those blocks.

Detroit Foreclosure Quilt detail, 2011. 22" x 44" Cheesecloth, linen and cotton

The city had no choice but to demolish them. Granted a lot of the people left Detroit because there also wasn't much employment leaving no one to buy up these homes. Much of Detroit looks like this. This neighborhood shown is just a few blocks from Grosse Point, a affluent, established neighborhood.

The back of the quilt looks completely different from the front, the only lot lines I stitched were those adjacent to demolished homes. There are quite a lot of them.

Detroit Foreclosure Quilt back detail, 2011. 22" x 44" Cheesecloth, linen and cotton.

To see more pictures of Detroit abandoned homes, click here. A really sad but true image of one of the US's most vibrant cities. To read more on foreclosures, click here.

Interviewed by The Bread Quilt

I discovered an amazing blog a few weeks back that is pure eye candy, The Bread Quilt.

I was pleasantly surprised to find my Cape Coral Boro featured one day last month. Then this week, the creator, Tom Moglu contacted me to ask me a few questions about my work. He is expanding the blog to include interviews and I was one of the lucky firsts to be included. You can read the interview here.

Tom Moglu is also a collage artist. We share a similar aesthetic so you can understand why I would love looking at his work and seeing what inspires him.



Nairi, 2011. Collage on card 180 x 180 mm. By Tom Moglu



He is starting to work with fiber and I'm betting it's going to be incredible work so stay tuned. You can see more of Tom's collage work here.

Artist : Matthew Harris

I come across Matthew Harris's work again and again these days and I'm always drawn into learning more. I love the repetition throughout his work and of course, that he works with fiber and stitching.

Lantern Cloth No 1, dyed, cut & hand stitched cloth, 99 x 170 cm Matthew Harris

Lantern Cloth No 1 detail, dyed, cut & hand stitched cloth, 99 x 170 cm

In addition to fiber, Harris has made some beautiful works on paper. Incredibly beautiful and rich, amazing that these are of paper, he has that rare ability to cross mediums effortlessly.

Factory Notebook,  Mixed media on paper bound with waxed thread, 25 x 40 cm Matthew Harris

Temple Notebook,  Mixed media on stitched paper, 19 x 26cm Matthew Harris

Stunning work and some stunning words to accompany them here. See more of his work here. Okay, one more, perhaps my favorite.

Lantern Cloth No 2, dyed, cut & hand stitched cloth, 99 x 170 cm Matthew Harris

work table : Detroit Foreclosure quilt

Vanessa Filley and I are taking a week or two off of The Inhabit Project to catch up on our main work. We've been going for one month strong and a little break will help us build up some new ideas. You don't want our brains turning into this, do you?

And so last week I focused more on the Foreclosure series and started a new piece (those are the remnants above). Lots of cutting, stitching, washing, reassembling.

Detroit Foreclosure Quilt in progress, 2011.

There's a twist to this piece that is based on Detroit neighborhood maps. When I looked at the lack of foreclosures shown on the RealtyTrac site, it didn't make sense. Wasn't Detroit one of the hardest hit areas? Yes, but you have to look at the aerial photos to see the true story. Shocking and sad. Entire blocks have been razed as all the homes were abandoned. Hence, no more foreclosures. Just emptiness. What will happen? Who knows.

Detroit Foreclosure Quilt in progress, 2011. Map from RealtyTrac.

There are vast expanses of lots removed in this piece. It takes on a different character than my previous work. And doesn't the image on the right remind you of my last post on Blinky Palermo? I had planned this piece before I saw Composition with 8 Red Rectangles. Really interesting how completely different ideas can lead to a similar outcome.

Artist : Blinky Palermo

Blinky Palermo: Retrospective 1964-1977 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C. looks like a show not to be missed if you're anywhere nearby. It runs through May 15th so only a few more days before it closes.

Komposition mit 8 roten Rechtecken [Composition with 8 Red Rectangles], 1964 Images: Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Photos: Jens Zieh.

My friend Myrna Tatar handed me the latest New York Times article by Roberta Smith as the colors and shapes reminded her of one of my works in progress. I'm drawn to Palermo's work of course because of his minimalism but also because he used whatever means necessary to make his statements. His work crosses the traditional boundaries of paint.

Blinky Palermo, Blaue Scheibe und Stab [Blue Disk and Staff], 1968 | Fabric tape on wood. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. Image: Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. Photo: Jens Ziehe.

After the show closes at the Hirshhorn Museum, it will be divided into two places this summer: Dia:Beacon in Beacon, N.Y., and Bard. For those of you, like me, who live too far away, there's a nice looking book to go along with the exhibit.

upcoming and current shows : Marin MOCA, ARC Gallery, SF Perinatal Associates & Madrone Gallery

My Cape Coral Foreclosure Boro will be in Artfully Reclaimed at Marin MOCA May 28th through July 10th in Novato, CA.

Cape Coral Foreclosure Boro, 2011.

Around the same time, one of my Repetition series pieces, Sad Eyes, will be part of FLOW: The Essence of Paint  at the ARC Gallery in San Francisco from June 4th through the 25th.

Sad Eyes, 2009.

And currently, all of my Idiom series are hanging San Francisco Perinatal Associates through September.

Idiom Series collage, 2010.

And last but not least, my work can also be seen at Madrone Gallery in the Sketchbook Project 2011 from June 16th - 18th. I'm looking forward to seeing Lari and Kitty's sketchbooks there as well!

And then there was none, The Sketchbook Project, 2011.

See a visual pattern here among all of my work over the past three years? I'll post the opening dates soon!

The Inhabit Project : #4 Bookshelf and Anschauung

Vanessa Filley and I were busy last week making new pieces for The Inhabit Project. Here are #4: Bookshelf and Anschauung.

#4: Left, Bookshelf by Kathryn Clark and Right, Anschauung by Vanessa Filley

My piece is simply a elevation view of a bookshelf in my studio full of magazines that I cannot seem to throw away. I was inspired by Inside Out magazine from Australia this time. It has the most beautiful colors on sidebar. And of course stacked magazines never stay neat, hence the wobbly layers on the right.

#4: Left, Bookshelf detail by Kathryn Clark and Right, Anschauung detail by Vanessa Filley

And Vanessa's words for Anschauung:

this piece is based on the feedback loops the artist mind experiences.  how the mind receives impressions from the outside world and then analyses, compares and combines these impressions.  from my little portal peering out on the world what do i see, how do i perceive, and in reverse those looking in, what to they see? this piece is that window, my perch, my vantage point.  loosely inspired by italiante windows.

Vanessa Filley of Moira & Obbie

See all of Vanessa's pieces and details here and all of mine here.

work table : april 22nd

Work has been slow and steady in the studio in the past week as I try to finish another foreclosure piece to enter into an upcoming show (fingers crossed!).

Modesto foreclosure boro in progress.

And of course, when a deadline approaches, I'm so good at procrastinating. I squeezed in a little studio remodeling last week by adding a new work wall using some gifted foam core and printmaking paper. I can now write notes next to my pinned fabric which is so handy now that I'm weeks away from hitting a big birthday and need help remembering everything!

I also started to experiment on my next piece. I always have to have a WIP to study while I'm sewing or I'd lose my mind.

Grade #10 cheesecloth reminds me of street grids so I think it will work well in my foreclosure series.

And I also received another package from Japan, this one from Kimonoboy textiles. 

They are having a sale on Kaya mosquito netting and I couldn't resist. I stocked up! Now what to do with it, another series? This time tied to Japan, perhaps?

Artist : Jen Causey and The Makers Project

I have adored Jen Causey's photographs for a number of years. I have three of her simply breakfast series hanging in my kitchen and never tire of looking at them. And she's done so many more, here's a beauty.


3.29.11 simply breakfast by Jen Causey

Jen is now onto a new, more ambitious series called The Makers Project in which she photographs Brooklyn based artisans making things. What could be more simple and beautiful than that?

Lena Corwin, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

The photos are stunning and offer lovely little peeks into various artists' studios and processes. Here are some of my favorites.

Lena Corwin, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

Hey Jen, why not do a San Francisco project! We have so many talented artisans and here are just a few: Rae Dunn, Ritual Roasters, Papaver Vert, Ineke perfumes, Oak Hill Farm, Flora Grubb Gardens, Boccalone, Pepperment Pinwheels among others!

Blue Bottle Coffee, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

Mast Brothers Chocolate, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

Shabd, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

Fort Makers, The Makers Project by Jen Causey

See the entire Makers Project here and some of Jen Causey's other work here. I hope a book is coming soon!

The Inhabit Project : #3 Art wall deconstructed and Coat: Threadbare

I'm really enjoying this collaboration with Vanessa of moira & obbie! We have two new pieces to share this week from The Inhabit Project. They complement each other nicely again, don't you think? We are working independently from each other yet somehow our pieces always click.

#3. Left: Art wall deconstructed by Kathryn Clark and Right: Coat: Threadbare by Vanessa Filley

My piece, Art Wall Deconstructed, started out as a basic image of my small art gallery area in my studio. It evolved into a deconstruction of several of my artworks including Glow and an earlier collaboration piece.

Art wall deconstructed, 2011. 16" x 16" Cheesecloth, wool scrim and embroidery on linen napkin

I love how the linen fabric became three dimensional as I embroidered the circle.

Art wall deconstructed (detail), 2011.

And here's Vanessa's piece, Coat: Threadbare.

Coat: Threadbare by Vanessa Filley of Moira & Obbie.

Once again, she offers a beautiful description of her thoughts:

"sometimes i feel homeless, uprooted, despite the reality that i am deeply nested. it's as if i am drifting from here to there with nothing but the clothing upon my back to provide a bit of warmth and grounding, a bit of my own history and where i have trod.  it is threadbare, once beautiful.  i have patched and repaired it, struggling to hold the pieces of memory together.  in this life we carry so much with us, collect so many bits, find ourselves amongst what we have, and yet we are not these  pieces, but in the here and now sometimes such bits seem to secure me to some sense of sanity..."

Vanessa Filley

See more of Vanessa's pieces here and mine here. In the next few weeks I will create a page on this blog so you can see the pieces together in their entirety.

upcoming show : ARC Gallery

Sad Eyes from my Repetition series will be included in FLOW: The Essence of Paint at the ARC Gallery. The show will open June 4th in San Francisco.

Sad Eyes, 2008. 36" x 36"  Gampi paper, rope, colored pencil under acrylic glazes.

The national exhibition was curated by Andre Rozanoff, director of Cain Schulte Contemporary Art in San Francisco. The show highlights the mastery of technique and creative use of paint, as well as the qualities of composition, line, color, texture, and scale. My work in a painting show? I know! But the Repetition series was really my bridge into fiber art and I have very fond memories of working and learning on this series. The pieces include rope, twine, handmade waxed paper and embroidery.

And for those of you who can't make it to the show, there will be an online gallery with two more of my Repetition series included.

Bowls, 2009. 36" x 36"  Handmade paper and rope under acrylic glazes.

Gris, 2009. 36" x 48"  Waxed paper, rope, embroidery thread under acrylic glazes.

More details to follow soon as to the opening reception and online gallery link. See more all of my Repetition series here.

Artist : Susan Warner Keene

I came across Susan Warner Keene's paper works today. I think you'll understand what I like about them.

Signs and Systems #5, 2001. Handmade paper, flax fiber, pigment. Susan Warner Keene

Folio Series: Life Study #3, 1996. Flax paper, linen thread. Susan Warner Keene

Piecing #2, 1996. flax paper, pigment. Susan Warner Keene

Semblence #4 (detail).  Susan Warner Keene

Two part figure #3 (detail).  Susan Warner Keene

See more of Susan's beautiful work here.

The Inhabit Project : #2 Tabouret and Wheelhouse Maze

Here is the second Inhabit Project collaboration I am making with Vanessa of moira & obbie. We are using the word "inhabit" as a starting point for these pieces. I am interpreting the word in a physical sense while Vanessa is about the concepts around inhabiting the mind.

left: Tabouret by Kathryn Clark and right: Wheelhouse Maze by moira & obbie, 2011.

My piece, Tabouret, is a plan view of my work tabouret taken one afternoon. A couple of safety pins strayed from their bowls on the right, a woodblock rectangle below those, a leftover piece of dowel rod and a void above where my ironing board usually fits. I used all remnant materials from the studio work this week.

Tabouret by Kathryn Clark. 16" x 16", 2011.

And Vanessa's description of Wheelhouse Maze. "Maze for the circuitous route i take through my brains activity on a daily basis, the repetition and bits of pretty, the chaos and order all in one; wheelhouse as in the baseball term meaning: a hitter's power zone, as this is where i find and draw my own little bit of power from. The yarn I used to hand-stitch is from a life-sized stash I salvaged from my granny's attic."

Wheelhouse Maze by moira & obbie, 2011.

See more details of Vanessa's piece's here. And see our previous work here.

Linen mood

I've been thinking about linen lately and found some inspiration on Flikr.

1. linen texture - pucker, 2. linen scarf, 3. PATCHWORK     BROWNS    .....-CHECKS----  HANDMADE-----RECYCLED--------LINEN.IMG_1001, 4. Linen, Texture, 5. Linen Skirt, 6. linen doll 1, 7. linen cushions, 8. linen tunic detail, 9. Linen bundle

Go to my flikr image to lead you to the artists I featured. I'm really loving that skirt and tunic ...