Extraordinary quilt

See exquisite quilt cabinetry from Florida Frazer Smith does not mean believe his eyes. Looking at the hand stitches and folds of tissue, it is impossible to imagine that all this – woodcarving.

Frazer path as an artist to wooden quilt was a fluke. His father, the woodcarver, was a sawmill. According to Frazer, the tools for carving surrounded him since childhood. In Dartmoor College Frazer, who dreamed of becoming an architect, joined the class of sculpture. Their teacher is most focused attention on the tree, and the disposal of the students were well-equipped workshop. After receiving a task, to cut a realistic three-dimensional image of a subject, Fraser decided to depict an old gym bag with hanging out of her tuxedo. ”Although this was done roughly in comparison with what I’m doing now, everyone enjoyed it and I finished the class with a good estimate. But I did not give this work special attention, while one kollektsionerka from New York did not want to buy it. Looking back I see that she made a bargain. ”

Once he understood that the architecture does not he wants to devote his life, Fraser in 1982, carved out of wood rose, and sought an original way to present it to the public. He cut only his jacket lapel and pinned it to the rose, then a few more such funny things and decided to try something else.

On the quilt Fraser said: “In the house where I grew up, there were no quilts, but I have always admired their designs, as well as the amount of labor invested in them. I wanted to cut from a tree something extraordinarily difficult. I thought about the quilt, but not was sure if I can cut at least one of the tree. His first quilt I started in 1987 and graduated a year later. It quickly found a buyer, and since then I cut out 36 other. Now, with improved tools and some experience, I make about four quilts in a year. ”

Fraser carves every single stitch and patchwork block, according to him, the hardest part of work – cleaning the surface.”All the time you need to keep in mind that the smooth surface of the wood and the fabric for each stitch is formed groove, but these do not fall deeper in straight lines. It’s like the waves from stitch to stitch, and my” wooden “wave should look the same . Mopping up to get closer to the natural type of fabric is 80% of the work. ”

Time spent on a Quilt is determined by its size and complexity. One of the quilts Frazer was patterned with “drunkards path” (“Drunkard’s Path”), its fabric prototype consisted of 1,344 parts; task master was to get that one piece of wood has replaced all the pieces of fabric. The work of such complexity Fraser said: “It is more difficult to cut out all the lines is more difficult to cause all the stitches, all ironed harder and harder to paint – all the harder if you’re dealing with all these little pieces.”

From case to case Frazer exhibited in galleries and an annual work involved in an exhibition of sculptural objects and functional art (SOFA) in New York and Chicago. ”Not many of my works are available for public viewing,” – says Fraser. - “Most settle in houses buyers.” Very notable exception is the “Floating”, located in the museum’s permanent exhibition of the American quilt community in Paducah, Kentucky

Patchwork ideal Frazer – traditional patchwork style of Appalachia. He explains: “Someone’s effort and imagination, artfully combining the pieces of cloth. And not made simply beautiful, but also in the work itself invested considerable skill. And I want you to feel it, looking at my quilt. When you look at my quilt, you think that examines a blanket from scraps – and discover that it is a piece of wood. It turns out that what I do – a kind magic. ”

source: s52.radikal.ru