Saturday, August 28, 2021

Attempt The Impossible
Since Failure Will Still Be Your Success
Annual Review

Marie-Therese Wisniowski


Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below the annual reviews that span the life of this blogspot.
It's Been An Exciting Year (2010/2011)
Another Cheer - Another Year (2011/2012)
Where Did The Year Go? (2012/2013)
The Year of the Horse (2013/2014)
Cold and Windy - But on the Dawn of Renewal (2014/2015)
A Time To Reflect - A Time To Select (2015/2016)
A Time to Remember (2016/2017)
To Be or Not to Be (2017/2018)
The Night Too Quickly Passes (2018/2019)
The Year of Living Dangerously (2019/2020)
Attempt The Impossible Since Failure Will Still Be Your Success (2020/2021)
A Year of Climate Extremes (2021/2022)
I Love A Sunburnt Country (2022/2023)


Introduction
Many years ago when I was dating my husband, he told me a story that I have never forgotten. He was a 10-year-old student who was exceptional at arithmetic and science. In fact, he had a chemistry set at the age of six and would go to the local drug/pharmacy store to purchase chemicals he needed in order to investigate a range of chemical reactions.

He enjoyed being in the top percentile of his grade and one day, after the principal of the school had a serious discussion with his parents, he jumped third grade at his primary school. He was now the smallest student in statute in his class and was at least nearly two years younger than his fellow students since he was born late in his birth year. Suddenly, he was no longer the top student in his class in arithmetic and science, even though he was still in the top percentile.

In the middle of the year, when his mother received his report card she said to him at breakfast, 'You look depressed, even though your class teacher has said you have done exceptionally well, considering that you have jumped a grade.'

'There are at least three girls that are academically ahead of me now and they tease me because of my height due to my age in order to put me off competing against them.'

'Well son, my advice is to attempt the impossible in class since failure will still be your success!'

The following day his mother was called into the principal's office. 'We have given your son three weeks detention since he admitted that he produced rotten egg gas, albeit at very low concentrations, and streamed it through the school's ventillation system and so we had no choice but to evacuate the entire school. He said that you had advised him to attempt the impossible!'

Needless to say his mother was not pleased, even though my husband reached legend status within the school. The three girls stopped teasing him because he was now the talk of the school!

Since that day I have also adopted that motto as my modus operandi. Hence, one of my earliest ArtCloth works centred on the 'Four Seasons.' I wanted each component of the artworks, namely, Summer Bolt, Autumn Bolt, Winter Bolt and Spring Bolt - to overpower the onlooker and so be very intimidating in size and color. I wanted each ArtCloth work to be hand painted and heat transferred using disperse dyes on satin and so project very vibrant and vivid colors. I wanted the onlooker to feel the force of nature and more importantly, to realize how small they were compared to seismic shifts and weather events. I was attempting the impossible knowing that failure would still be my success!

Winter Bolt
Title: Winter Bolt (Four Australian Seasons – Bolt Series).
Technique: Hand painted and heat transferred using disperse dyes on satin.
Size: ca. 1.50 meters in width x 2.00 meters in length.
Held: Artist's Collection.


Attempt The Impossible Since Failure Will Still Be Your Success
The number of categories on this blogspot keeps growing. They are as follows: (i) ArtCloth and Art Quilt Textiles; (ii) Art Essays; (iii) Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks; (iv) Artist's Profiles; (v) Art Resources; (vi) Art Review; (vii) Book Reviews/Interviews; (viii) Craft and Quilt Fairs; (ix) Fabric Lengths; (x) Glossaries; (xi) Guest Artists/Authors; (xii) Guest Editors; (xiii) Opinion Pieces; (xiv) Resource Reviews; (xv) Works On Paper; (xvi) Technical Articles; (xvii) Wearable Art; (xviii) Workshops and Master Classes (i.e. my students outputs).

Not all of these categories are present in any given year. For example, Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks, Fabric Lengths, Guest Artists/Authors, Guest Editors, Workshops, Craft and Quilt Fairs, and Master Classes, Technical Articles etc did not make an appearance this year. After all it was a Covid year!

Also, judging a post by the one criterion namely, most amount of viewers, is not necessarily the smartest approach, since the length of stay might negate the former statistic. How often have you heard yourself say - oops I really didn't mean to google this hunk of a man in his underpants when I searched for "drawers." Nevertheless, this one statistic makes it so much easier for me to make a judgement and so it will be used as the final arbitrator, except in the case when two posts differ by less than two viewers then I will decree that both of them are winners!
Note: We are only talking about differences and not the absolute numbers.


Art Cloth and Art Quilt Textiles
There were eleven posts in this category in 2020/2021 with Stripweaves (West Africa) - Part III and Japanese Paintings on Silk being the most viewed. The latter had 42 more viewers and so is the winner in this category.

A Beauty Having A Smoke
Comment: A Beauty Having A Smoke.
Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825).
Style: Kakemono.
Material: Colors on Silk.
Size: 101.5 x 36.0 cm.


Art Essay
There were nine posts in this category in the 2020/2021 season. The two most viewed posts were Art Quilts - Part VII and Tsutsugaki - Freehand Paste-Resist Dyeing, with the latter attracting 61 more viewers and so is the winner in this category.

Sash to carry a baby on the back
Comment: Sash to carry a baby on the back. The family crest can be seen on the fabric.
Note: This technique produces some stunning visual effects.


Artist's Profile
There were two posts in this category in 2020/2021 and they were Jenny Kee and Jonah Jacobs with the former being viewed thirty more times than the latter and so is the winner in this category.

Iconic Jenny Kee jumper
Comment: Iconic Jenny Kee jumper.


Art Resources
There were twelve posts in this category in 2020/2021 (one per month). The two posts with the most number of views were: Premetallized Dyes and Azoic Dyes with the latter having 15 more viewers and so is judged the winner in this category.

White silk satin printed with Azoic Dyes
Comment: White silk satin printed with Azoic Dyes.


Art Review
There were three posts in this category in 2020/2021 with Abstract Designer Patterns and Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Designs being the most viewed. The first post had 20 more visitors and so won this category.

Designer: Rachael Taylor
Designer: Rachael Taylor.


Book Reviews/Interviews
There was only one post in the 2020/2021 season in this category and it was my interview of Kalle Gayn about his novel - A Pheonix Rises. Naturally I interviewed him since he dedicated his novel to me, because I designed the front cover of his novel and did the layout for him. Bias you say, and if you do I would reply, 'You're right!'

Kalle Gayn, A Phoenix Rises
Kalle Gayn, A Phoenix Rises (Front Cover).
Click on the link to read my author interview: A Pheonix Rises
Recommended retail price: AUD $24.99 (plus shipping).
ISBN 978-0-9873013-4-5.
The third novel in the Magrete trilogy is in the collection of the following libraries: National Library of Australia, University of Sydney Library, State Library of New South Wales and the NSW Parliamentary Library.
Online sale currently available from Art Quill & Co Pty Ltd.
To purchase the novel please email: admin@artquill.com.au


Resource Review
There was only one post in this castegory in the 2020/2021 season and that was Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part III.
Painted wooden statue of a maid-servant with duck
Comment: Painted wooden statue of a maid-servant with duck (Dynasty DER EL-BAHRI).
There is a density of culture in so many of these historic artworks that can easily overwhelm you.


Wearable Art
There were four posts in the 2020/2021 season that highlighted wearable art. The two most popular posts in this category were String Theory and Street Play in Tokyo with the latter being more popular by 18 views.

Some street wearables in the Harajuku district
Comment: Some street wearables in the Harajuku district. A typical Harajuku fashion store sign – “Clothing Without Prejudice”.


Works on Paper
There were five posts in the 2020/2021 season that featured works on paper. The two most popular were Aboriginal Art - Colour Power and Intaglio Prints Created Using Solar Plates, with the former attracting 155 more viewers that the latter and so winning this category.

Warnajarra (1991)
Artist: Jirtin Pompey Siddon.
Title of Work: Warnajarra (1991).

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