Introduction
Art is a human endeavour which encompasses the long history of life and experiences of human beings over the epochs. It connects us through gender, race, age, time, and shared experiences from the cave paintings of Lascaux to the plethora of modern art media and concepts. By creating a visual dialogue, we have the means to share and exchange emotional, psychological, and cultural narratives from both an artists and viewers perspective.
Artists have historically created works that embrace the concepts of protest, resistance, social change, and resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme hardship. A powerful source of inspiration is often born from the ravages of conflict zones.
In these uncertain times, the outlook for the global economy is grim with a series of trade policy shocks that threaten to paralyse economic and business decisions. Global tensions are rising, with warfare ongoing in the Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, and Sudan, just to name a few.
The Ukraine has a rich and diverse culturally significant heritage in creating art and exhibiting artworks. Since 2003, the organisers and founders of the International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition “Scythia” - Ludmila Egorova, Anastasia Schneider and Andrew Schneider - have curated this biennial contemporary exhibition in the city of Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine. Despite the difficult situation in the country caused by the war, their vision encapsulates the role and contribution that the art world can make to normalize society engagements, in tense war times just as these.
An excerpt from an interview with the organisers in 2023 is as follows: “Art is a part of our national identity and plays an important role in the time of war. Art provides cooperation between friendly countries, shows our cultural diversity, helps to share ideas and understand common goals, it heals and helps to return to the memory of a peaceful life even for 20- 30 minutes, while visiting an art exhibition. Each artwork sent by a foreign artist, shows his or her support and wish to share emotions with the audience in Ukraine, which is very important nowadays for each person in our country. The exhibition also helps Ukrainian artists to spread their ideas worldwide, to show the diversity of their thoughts and to express their feelings. Specially made artworks, and artworks which are closely related to the feelings of Ukrainian citizens during this war, will be presented at these exhibitions. Such artworks are made not only by Ukrainian artists, but by the foreign artists to express their solidarity with our people and to help to inform and depict the situation to the people worldwide”.[1]
In 2024, textile artists working in various textile and fibre techniques were invited to apply for participation in the, 12th International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition, “Scythia,” via a jury selection process. Artists could submit 2 artworks, 2 or 3-dimensional works, up to 30x30x30 cm. There was no set theme for the exhibited artworks.
I was honoured to be informed that my ArtCloth print, ‘Time Waits for No Man,’ was selected by the jury for exhibition at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Museum, Ukraine, June 3 - 17, 2025. Artworks by 121 artists were selected representing Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mauritius, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, Ukraine, and the USA.
Synopsis and Processes for the ArtCloth Print ‘Time Waits for No Man’
The quote, 'time waits for no man,' is commonly attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer, and it originates from his book 'Canterbury Tales,' which was written between 1387 and 1400 AD. The quote concisely captures the fleeting nature of time and the fundamental fact that change is inevitable. It emphasises the concept that time, along with opportunity, must be seized with passion, nothing must be left to chance, and we should focus on our goals. It reminds us of our mortality and the impermanence of life on this planet.
The concept for this ArtCloth print was rooted in the investigation of the influence of the 'fine-art' world on the 'street art' of Graffiti and the Post Graffiti movement. The iconography of the artwork centres on over 500 years of appropriation of Leonardo da Vinci’s, ‘Vitruvian Man’ image. It traces its journey through time to its current destination in contemporary media and on walls in our urban streetscapes.
'The Vitruvian Man is a drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to ca. 1490. Inspired by the writings of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, the drawing depicts a nude man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in both a circle and square. It was described by the art historian Carmen C. Bambach as '...justly ranked among the all-time iconic images of Western civilization.' Although not the only known drawing of a man inspired by the writings of Vitruvius, the work is a unique synthesis of artistic and scientific ideals and often considered an archetypal representation of the High Renaissance. The drawing represents Leonardo’s conception of ideal body proportions, originally derived from Vitruvius but influenced by his own measurements, the drawings of his contemporaries, and the De pictura treatise by Leon Battista Alberti'[2].
In tandem with the concept of a deconstructed and distressed street art aesthetic, the artwork had to characterize the psychological relationship between the subject and viewer - capturing the fleeting nature of time and the fundamental fact that change is inevitable and that no man can control the passage of time no matter how powerful or influential they may be.
My research demanded various design considerations to produce the aesthetic principles underlying the production of the piece. Multiple complex layers of hand painted, silk screened, mono printed, stamped, collaged, resist, mark-making and distress techniques using transparent, opaque, and metallic pigments were employed to create the heavily textured and dense surface on the cotton substrate. A collaged clock references the passage of time along with images of red leaves falling away to oblivion at the bottom right of the piece. Dark, light, and metallic hues were chosen to give a high contrast and attain an interesting balance of the various elements in the work. Varied shades of yellow, gold and browns dominate the work to highlight the soft gold-brown watercolour washes and brown ink drawing in da Vinci’s original artwork.
In conclusion, both Geoffrey Chaucer and Leonardo da Vinci epitomise the idea that time, along with opportunity, must be seized with passion, nothing must be left to chance, and we should focus on our goals. Centuries after their legacy, they have continued to influence generations of artists and writers.
Time Waits for No Man
Title: Time Waits for No Man (Full View).
Techniques and Media: Hand painted, silk screened, mono printed, stamped and collaged employing transparent, opaque, and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 30 cm high x 19.5 cm wide.
Year of Creation: 2025.
Edition: 1/1.
Detail View No.1.
Detail View No.2.
Detail View No.3.
Detail View No.4.
Postscript
The organisers held another exhibition, the 4th International Micro Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition, at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Centre of Contemporary Art, concurrently with the 12th International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition “Scythia”, at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Museum. Dates for both exhibitions were June 3 - 17, 2025. Both exhibitions are featured in the catalogues on the Scythia Contemporary Textile and Fibre Art website at the following link: http://www.scythiatextile.com.
The editor of Studio La Primitive Arts Zine, Robyn Werkhoven, invited me to write an article about some of my recent ArtCloth prints. My article was published in Ezine Issue 62, July 2025 and is titled, 'Three Print Journeys'. The concept, synopsis and processes for the prints, Time Waits for No Man, The Power of One, and Graffiti Garden are discussed in the article. The ‘Three Print Journeys’ article appears on page 180 of the Ezine.
Note: In 2017 Studio La Primitive Arts Zine was selected by the New South Wales State Library to be preserved as a digital publication of lasting cultural value for long-term access by the Australian community.
References
[1] http://www.scythiatextile.com/mini-2023.html
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man
Art is a human endeavour which encompasses the long history of life and experiences of human beings over the epochs. It connects us through gender, race, age, time, and shared experiences from the cave paintings of Lascaux to the plethora of modern art media and concepts. By creating a visual dialogue, we have the means to share and exchange emotional, psychological, and cultural narratives from both an artists and viewers perspective.
Artists have historically created works that embrace the concepts of protest, resistance, social change, and resilience of the human spirit in the face of extreme hardship. A powerful source of inspiration is often born from the ravages of conflict zones.
In these uncertain times, the outlook for the global economy is grim with a series of trade policy shocks that threaten to paralyse economic and business decisions. Global tensions are rising, with warfare ongoing in the Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, and Sudan, just to name a few.
The Ukraine has a rich and diverse culturally significant heritage in creating art and exhibiting artworks. Since 2003, the organisers and founders of the International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition “Scythia” - Ludmila Egorova, Anastasia Schneider and Andrew Schneider - have curated this biennial contemporary exhibition in the city of Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine. Despite the difficult situation in the country caused by the war, their vision encapsulates the role and contribution that the art world can make to normalize society engagements, in tense war times just as these.
An excerpt from an interview with the organisers in 2023 is as follows: “Art is a part of our national identity and plays an important role in the time of war. Art provides cooperation between friendly countries, shows our cultural diversity, helps to share ideas and understand common goals, it heals and helps to return to the memory of a peaceful life even for 20- 30 minutes, while visiting an art exhibition. Each artwork sent by a foreign artist, shows his or her support and wish to share emotions with the audience in Ukraine, which is very important nowadays for each person in our country. The exhibition also helps Ukrainian artists to spread their ideas worldwide, to show the diversity of their thoughts and to express their feelings. Specially made artworks, and artworks which are closely related to the feelings of Ukrainian citizens during this war, will be presented at these exhibitions. Such artworks are made not only by Ukrainian artists, but by the foreign artists to express their solidarity with our people and to help to inform and depict the situation to the people worldwide”.[1]
In 2024, textile artists working in various textile and fibre techniques were invited to apply for participation in the, 12th International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition, “Scythia,” via a jury selection process. Artists could submit 2 artworks, 2 or 3-dimensional works, up to 30x30x30 cm. There was no set theme for the exhibited artworks.
I was honoured to be informed that my ArtCloth print, ‘Time Waits for No Man,’ was selected by the jury for exhibition at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Museum, Ukraine, June 3 - 17, 2025. Artworks by 121 artists were selected representing Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mauritius, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, Ukraine, and the USA.
Synopsis and Processes for the ArtCloth Print ‘Time Waits for No Man’
The quote, 'time waits for no man,' is commonly attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer, and it originates from his book 'Canterbury Tales,' which was written between 1387 and 1400 AD. The quote concisely captures the fleeting nature of time and the fundamental fact that change is inevitable. It emphasises the concept that time, along with opportunity, must be seized with passion, nothing must be left to chance, and we should focus on our goals. It reminds us of our mortality and the impermanence of life on this planet.
The concept for this ArtCloth print was rooted in the investigation of the influence of the 'fine-art' world on the 'street art' of Graffiti and the Post Graffiti movement. The iconography of the artwork centres on over 500 years of appropriation of Leonardo da Vinci’s, ‘Vitruvian Man’ image. It traces its journey through time to its current destination in contemporary media and on walls in our urban streetscapes.
'The Vitruvian Man is a drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, dated to ca. 1490. Inspired by the writings of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, the drawing depicts a nude man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in both a circle and square. It was described by the art historian Carmen C. Bambach as '...justly ranked among the all-time iconic images of Western civilization.' Although not the only known drawing of a man inspired by the writings of Vitruvius, the work is a unique synthesis of artistic and scientific ideals and often considered an archetypal representation of the High Renaissance. The drawing represents Leonardo’s conception of ideal body proportions, originally derived from Vitruvius but influenced by his own measurements, the drawings of his contemporaries, and the De pictura treatise by Leon Battista Alberti'[2].
In tandem with the concept of a deconstructed and distressed street art aesthetic, the artwork had to characterize the psychological relationship between the subject and viewer - capturing the fleeting nature of time and the fundamental fact that change is inevitable and that no man can control the passage of time no matter how powerful or influential they may be.
My research demanded various design considerations to produce the aesthetic principles underlying the production of the piece. Multiple complex layers of hand painted, silk screened, mono printed, stamped, collaged, resist, mark-making and distress techniques using transparent, opaque, and metallic pigments were employed to create the heavily textured and dense surface on the cotton substrate. A collaged clock references the passage of time along with images of red leaves falling away to oblivion at the bottom right of the piece. Dark, light, and metallic hues were chosen to give a high contrast and attain an interesting balance of the various elements in the work. Varied shades of yellow, gold and browns dominate the work to highlight the soft gold-brown watercolour washes and brown ink drawing in da Vinci’s original artwork.
In conclusion, both Geoffrey Chaucer and Leonardo da Vinci epitomise the idea that time, along with opportunity, must be seized with passion, nothing must be left to chance, and we should focus on our goals. Centuries after their legacy, they have continued to influence generations of artists and writers.
Time Waits for No Man
Techniques and Media: Hand painted, silk screened, mono printed, stamped and collaged employing transparent, opaque, and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 30 cm high x 19.5 cm wide.
Year of Creation: 2025.
Edition: 1/1.
Postscript
The organisers held another exhibition, the 4th International Micro Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition, at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Centre of Contemporary Art, concurrently with the 12th International Mini Textile and Fibre Art Exhibition “Scythia”, at the Ivano-Frankivs’k Museum. Dates for both exhibitions were June 3 - 17, 2025. Both exhibitions are featured in the catalogues on the Scythia Contemporary Textile and Fibre Art website at the following link: http://www.scythiatextile.com.
The editor of Studio La Primitive Arts Zine, Robyn Werkhoven, invited me to write an article about some of my recent ArtCloth prints. My article was published in Ezine Issue 62, July 2025 and is titled, 'Three Print Journeys'. The concept, synopsis and processes for the prints, Time Waits for No Man, The Power of One, and Graffiti Garden are discussed in the article. The ‘Three Print Journeys’ article appears on page 180 of the Ezine.
Note: In 2017 Studio La Primitive Arts Zine was selected by the New South Wales State Library to be preserved as a digital publication of lasting cultural value for long-term access by the Australian community.
References
[1] http://www.scythiatextile.com/mini-2023.html
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man
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