Margot Lovinger

About the Technique

Each piece in this exhibit is composed entirely of fabrics, thread and embroidery floss, and, in some cases, beads. No paints, inks, or dyes are used. All sewing is done by hand.

I begin with a cotton canvas base, to which all the successive layers are sewn. The first layers are usually cottons and silks. In these early layers, I rough out the composition and establish the major shapes and colors of the work. Next, the subtle modulation of color and tone are achieved by the layering of sheer fabrics, such as tulle, netting, organza and chiffon. Each successive layer changes the hue of the layers beneath it, much the way a transparent color wash changes the layers underneath it in watercolor painting. Stitching in cotton, silk, or rayon thread or embroidery floss is added to create texture and define shapes. Finally, each piece is stretched over a padded wooden frame.

About the Artist

Born and raised in Boston, my interest in art started at an early age. Attending weekend workshops and classes at local art associations and at the Museum of Fine Arts furthered my enthusiasm. After high school, I enrolled in art school at Parsons School of Design, in New York City. After two years as a sculpture major in their fine arts department, I transferred to the Museum School in Boston, where I completed my education and earned my BFA in 1993.

The experimental environment of the Museum School encouraged me to follow my interest in creating art from fabrics. My work started with "story quilts" that were interactive, and required the viewer's participation to reveal the full narrative. Other types of quilts and fabric compositions followed, often experimenting with new materials and textures. Though I was always fascinated by figure painting, (particularly the works of the renaissance masters, such as Caravaggio) the medium frustrated me, and most of my paintings showed this. Eventually, my interest in the textures and techniques of sewing merged with my fondness for the rich colors and imagery of figure painting, and I began creating these sewn figurative fabric compositions. I have been working in this technique for about 7 years.

After many years in Boston, and a few years in Los Angeles, I moved to Seattle in 2005, where I presently live and work.