Friday, February 8, 2008

jan myers-newberry



maybe this is the week of the hyphenated artists! jan myers-newberry is one of those talented, unique, individuals who quietly leaves her mark, breaks fresh trails, and leaves people in awe of her work. yet try to find out anything about her on the internet and it is literally a matter of piecing together bits here and shreds there, but somehow - like her quilts - in assembling the pieces, the whole reveals a deep presence. an impact.

a strong, deep talent that has embedded itself in the quilting world, jan is known for her lyrical, geometric, pieced quilts using shibori fabrics of her creation. many of her finished pieces show aspects of the work of victor vasarely, as well as joseph albers and other op artists including bridget riley.

but first: what’s shibori? well shibori is a japanese technique for dying cloth that dates back to the eighth century. here’s the epicentre of the shibori universe!

a brief treatise on her work can be read by looking here!

i love her use of colour and the textures that emerge from the shibori technique. but enough cleverness! here’s a few peeks at jan’s wickedgood work - i mean look at this artwork!!! it’s so clever! it’s so beautiful!

fenestre.

fire and ice.

homage to albers.

4 comments:

Six of Ten said...

I am pleased to tell you that I knew Ms. Myers Newberry back when I lived in Pittsburgh. She and I were in a Wednesday group of women who got together at each other's homes to quilt, laugh, eat dessert and talk about our families. She is indeed a great talent and I miss her since I moved away from Pittsburgh about 8 years ago.

Jan Myers-Newbury said...

Hi Michael - I was very touched to read the kind words you've written about my work. I don't believe I've ever met you, so it is all the sweeter. Thank you. I've finally published my own website, so have now lost my status as illusive internet presence (which I was secretly proud of), but my reasons are outlined on my Welcome page. And now writing to you has forced me to tackle yet another bit of this foreign territory. My first ever blog contribution!
Good luck on your bike ride - I'll send in some support. Best wishes - Jan Myers-Newbury

steven said...

hello jan! what a thrill - really a thrill - to have you visit here. your new website is truly a gift! clearly it's time for me to do an update on things related to you and your work as it is now "out there" and no longer quite as illusive. thankyou so much for your contribution to my ride for africycle. steven

Jan Myers-Newbury said...

Hi Stephen -
Big Oops! Sorry about getting your name wrong. Not sure what I was thinking of. Guess I saw the "Michael" in Dorothy's post.
I kinda hate loosing my illusive status, but guess that's the price I pay.
Best - Jan