Art of the Spirit: Contemporary Canadian Fabric Art

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

In the title of this work “spirit” is very narrowly defined to mean
religious. The book presents, in the manner of a gallery show, selected
works of contemporary Canadian liturgical fabric art: altar cloths, pew
and kneeler cushions, banners, funeral palls, wall hangings, robes,
copes (cloaks), and other vestments. For each piece in the
“exhibit,” there is a color photo, a description of the work, and a
note on the artist.

Sixty-five artists are represented, many by two works. The fabric-art
techniques included cover a wide range: quilting, embroidery, appliqué,
weaving, fringe, dyeing, painting, couching, beadwork, machine
stitchery, collage, needlepoint, etc. The result is a book that is a
reference both on fabric-art techniques and on today’s Canadian
artists working in the liturgical fabric-art field.

The pieces selected for inclusion in the book are all contemporary;
traditional themes from the Christian and Judaic religions are
interpreted for today’s worshipper, sometimes using images from
20th-century Canada, sometimes giving an updated look to traditional
symbols (e.g., doves, flames, crosses). The pieces by Native artists
emphasize symbolism drawn from nature.

Glowing, vibrant color is the strongest initial impression received
from browsing through the collection. Color and worship seem to be
synonymous. As soon as the reader recovers from the blast of color, the
impact of outstanding skill and master-level craftsmanship makes itself
felt. While some of the works have the innocence of folk art, most are
highly sophisticated concepts executed by such leading fibre artists in
Canada as Marie Aiken-Barnes, Martha Cole, Dini Moes, and Erica
Richardson, among others.