Linda Kamille Schmidt || Wave and Dot, 2017
Wave and Dot, 2017
Ink, Acrylic, Spray Paint on mulberry paper
8.5 x 11 inches
Linda Kamille Schmidt's abstract fiber art pieces are primarily framed, but occasionally, she crafts flowing, hanging works. All her pieces exude a playful spirit, characterized by vibrant and weightless colors that interweave and interact, giving rise to optical illusions within their layers. The intersections between the geometric fabric layers resemble the blending of pigments, evoking a painterly sense of movement and effortless fluidity.
As the artist states:
I am inspired by the colors and textures of transparent and opaque fabrics I collect and sew into layered, geometric collages. The construction of each piece is a journey. Through my stitching methods and varying degrees of fussiness, I explore and challenge expectations of perfection, the rigidity of traditional rules, and what has historically denoted success for women. Everyone has a relationship with fabric, so the colors, textures and types of fabric used in the work stir up personal memories of childhood, special events, personalities, life styles, ethics, privilege and wealth. My fabrics range in cost and quality from thrift store finds and bargain bin remnants to high end silks. The stitching is done both by machine and by hand, sometimes neat, sometimes unpredictable and haphazard. The fabrics are often frayed, ripped apart and reassembled, leaving holes that expose a trail of my process.
There is an architectural element to my work; I build each piece forward from my past. The bright colors are constructive and positive. The transparent and opaque layers overlap, causing the colors to glow from underneath. The two-sided hanging work invites the viewer to look for the places where they can see into the distance. Opaque fabrics create a visual block but the color and texture changes if something transparent is layered on top.
Submitted by Garvey | Simon