The folks next door may not be just like me. And I am not just like them. But we’re all folks living out the lives we know.

I am so pleased to be part of an upcoming exhibit curated by Touchstone Gallery in Washington, DC. It’s called “US – What Unites us, What Divides us.” I was accepted into one of their shows last year, and so I have a sense of the kind of work the gallery is interested in. It’s a top-notch gallery with great quality work; I suspect some will be pretty edgy, and much will be social commentary. A pretty good time for that.

But, as I thought about submitting an entry, I had to work with what work I had created, and I chose to focus on the simplest of common human experiences. We all come from a home or family of some kind, and it helps to form us. Good or bad. So, all of us have that in common.

Here’s a look at the work I submitted, “Sing the Songs that We Learned There.”

INSIDE – The focal point of this work is the variety inside each house. I mixed up colors and patterns to show the vitality of different lives.

UNDERNEATH – All of the houses have roots, and all of the roots go down into a common underground. As different as all of our lives are, we have that in common.

THE LITTLE BIRDS – Birds seemed like just the right commentators for this work. Are they the ones who used to live in the houses and now sing the songs they learned? Are they survivors? Are they like the Greek chorus, providing the commentary?

CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY – I wrote in my artist statement that all of my fabric-imaging methods are simple and very low-tech. And that I delight in this. I believe artists can create either dull works or interesting works using either simple or complex art-making methods. It’s not about the method. I think the simple child-like house shapes as a means of expressing life complexity is an interesting choice.

The “US” exhibit will be a virtual exhibit (so ANYBODY can see it!) appearing on the website for Touchstone Gallery. It should be live to see on this Friday September 18. I can’t wait to see the rest of the art. I hope you’ll take a look too. It will be here:  www.touchstonegallery.com

Who knows what we will learn?

And, about learning: I am trying to educate myself about the parts of our country’s history that I have not studied well, and to understand the experiences of people different from me. Oh how I have loved reading “The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.

It’s the story of the great migration of Southern blacks to the Northern cities of the US from the Jim Crow era through the 1960’s. It’s full of history and things to learn. And, because Ms. Wilkerson traces the stories of three specific families, it reads like a novel. I deeply recommend this one.

Till next time. May we all keep learning, And all keep creating.

The Quilt “Sing the Songs That We learned There” is on my website. If you would like to learn more, visit HERE.

Thank you for reading. I always enjoy questions and comments.
Bobbi

bobbi@bobbibaughstudio.com

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