Firestorm
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Stitcher: |
Karla Kellenberger |
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Designer: |
Karla Kellenberger |
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Location: |
It is hanging in the living room, next to "Vortex." |
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Description: |
When I began to design this piece in 1997, it was intended
as a companion piece to the first Hardanger spiral I had designed and stitched
earlier that year. That piece, "Vortex," had been suggestive of the swirling
motion of water, so I decided to continue with the theme of the four elements
by making the second piece representative of fire. I wanted the second piece
to share the sense of motion of "Vortex," but I also wanted to move in a
totally different direction with the color and shape. I kept working on the piece intermittently for the next four years, and over that time it evolved both technically and philosophically. Stitching, for me, is a meditative activity, and I tend to think and reflect upon ideas as I work. As I stitched "Firestorm," I thought about the ambiguity that humans feel about fire. Fire is a source of life-sustaining warmth and comfort, but it also can be destructive, terrifying, and the cause of loss and devastation. Two historic events also helped to inspire this piece: the World War Two firebombing of Dresden, Germany, and the terrorist attack of September, 2001. |
| I wanted to use Hardanger in an abstract design, and also to use it in a design with motion. So many Hardanger designs are regimented and simply decorative, and I wanted to get away from that. I also wanted to work on black fabric with dramatic, contrasting colors. | |
| This piece, like "Vortex," is abstract, and intentionally so. I think that a great strength of abstraction lies in its ability to change for each viewer, and therefore to accommodate the diverse emotions, experiences, and perceptions of many different people. I like the idea that each person who views the piece "finishes" it in his or her own unique way. |
