Barn Door - Terry Jarrard-Dimond
80" x 80" - Hand Dyed Fabric
The first few fabric pieces I made were traditional quilts and as such were made a size that would fit a bed. They were made in units so it wasn't difficult to made a large piece.....you just kept adding units.
As my work developed and I began to think of this work as more than a bed quilt, the work became smaller. The direction of the work was less clear and more experimental. My first large art piece, Barn Door pictured above, was indeed large at 80" x 80". I loved working at that scale and have since made a number of very large works.
Untitled - Terry Jarrard-Dimond
12" x 12" - Charcoal and Stitching
As I moved ahead in my work, working small became more of a challenge for me but lately I've become more interested in what can be achieved in a small format. The three new works pictured are about 12" square. They will be matted and framed which is how I think works of this size in fabric look best.
This week I saw a link to an artist I did not know, Thomas Nozkowski. Actually I had seen some of his work but his name didn't stick. Now it will. Here's a link to a nice interview with him.
Untitled - Terry Jarrard-Dimond
12" x 12" - Charcoal and Stitching
Nozkowski has many things to say of interest but one that caught my attention was the fact that some years ago he made the decision to work on a smaller scale than is the usual at the time in New York galleries. He said he wanted to work at a scale that would fit in his friend's apartment. I loved that.
Untitled - Terry Jarrard-Dimond
12" x 12" - Charcoal and Stitching
I'll bet many of you are like me in that you have a stack of large works that will not fit anywhere except in a gallery. OK, I admit that I am sitting right next to that first large piece I spoke about but our new house has unusually high ceilings and lots of wall space. I have sold a couple of large works but most people can't afford them even if they have walls big enough to hang them.
So what size are you? What are your feelings about the size of work? Does the size of a work make it more or less important? How do you feel about having stacks of large pieces that can't be shown in many shows because of size limitations? How do you feel about having to pay $$$ to ship these works if you get into a show?
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