MARKING THE EVERYDAY | DOROTHY CALDWELL
11.25.2006 | 01.14.2007

Dorothy Caldwell applies contemporary consideration to traditional sewing and quilting techniques in her distinctive, painterly textile constructions. Her textiles are ripped and repaired, manipulated,  punctured, patched, and formed into work that alludes to rocky landscapes and topographical map-making with organic and geometric structures.

Caldwell handles textiles like a painter treats canvas: marking, dying, and “drawing” threaded lines across her work with deliberately placed stitches and coloured appliqué. The effect of her process is so subtle, that the designs and textures could certainly be misconstrued for acrylic paint, etching or woodcuts. Despite the obvious care with which the artist crafts her detailed work, she seems resigned to allow a sense of chance, and perhaps even play, to guide her practice.

I don’t care if the fabric rips, or if the tools go right through the cloth, or if they just make their mark.

I like the surprises that happen during the process.

Dorothy Caldwell studied at The Banff Centre for Fine Arts, and received her B.F.A. from the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Rome. Her work is featured in numerous public collections in Canada, the United States, and Asia, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau; the Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa; the Canadian Consulate, Bangkok, Thailand; and the American Craft Museum, New York. She was the Canadian representative at Expo ‘90 in Osaka, Japan and was honoured, the same year, with the prestigious Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts. Caldwell lives and works in Hastings, Ontario.