She came to me. The Black Madonna.
I think back and can't remember how she came to me. She just did.
Art can be like that...I find this process so interesting. I have an inkling of an idea, envisioning it at the opposite end of a long tunnel...it's there, I can almost reach it.
Reaching out to you and gives you just enough of a wisp to grab on to while at the same time it can slip through your fingers to float away.
Concept
As all my pieces, I begin with a foundation. Research.
Traditional Madonnas represent purity and obedience, whereas Black Madonnas are strong and powerful.
There are many symbolisms of the Black Madonna. Catholic icons of Sicily, Spain, Switzerland, France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Turkey. Black Tara in China, as Kali in India, and as “Our Lady of Guadalupe” in Mexico. I chose the Black Madonna Mother Earth.
Earth. As we come into a life changing world, I feel that healing could be our foremost focus.
She sustains and nourishes all life and, at the completion of each life cycle, all living things return to her. The Black Madonna is the source of all the dark, rich, fertile processes of Nature, the overseer of all fertile transformations in the outside world and within our own inner nature.
It Starts Within the Heart
I have found it important to include two parts the heart connected to my art piece. My Dad, he was a supporter of my work. The metallic X marks remembrance of him. Second is an embroidered heart- loosely created to be open.
Body fabric of silk in a linen weave. Hand dyed.
Putting Words to Fabric
Time to Heal Renew Grow and Become.
How does this translate into fabric?
I started with her under dress.
Heal- as each of experience life in our own way...we find that we are of the same "bolt of fabric" yet each hold our own perception of life. If we can remember, we are strips side by side.
Pieced vintage kimono lining silk. Slightly distressed.
We can look to each other for stabilization. But if we can find our own foothold perhaps our own connection to Mother Earth, we will be stronger individually and then can better help support each other.
Right sides facing to sew ends together.
Renew: We can discover how to be ourselves while mending into a better more open place.
Going forward with this thought, I freeform topstitched and all strips onto the foundation of fabric beneath.
Lining of striped dupioni
Finished under dress.
So we come together as one in our human-ness.
Finding our foundation within and our foothold to Mother Earth.
Detail...
Outer Dress
It was important to me to create in colors of the Earth.
Pulling out a golden silk and then three rounds of over dyeing.
Then cut into strips.
I decided to do the reverse in coloring of the Under Dress. Dark outside light inside.
"...the place where light and dark begin to touch is where miracles arise."
Robert A. Johnson
Pinning of the stirps.
And even so, you believe it to be complete...I felt it still needed just a bit deeper orange red.
Heart.
So over-dyed the top area once again.
Grow: If we give life and ourselves a chance, we will find that the Divine supports us in our own growth and then we too can help others.
Under Dress, Over Dress, Slip.
All hand-dyed or distressed vintage kimono with exception of Under Dress Liner- stripped dupioni silk.
If you let your art lead, this IS when little voices of miracles happen.
After, I had finished with the topstitching and took a step back. I noticed that the stitching lines represented that beat of a heart...
It all came together at this moment.
It is through LOVE that we can not only connect with Mother Earth but with each other.That is how we heal...renewgrowbecome.
Final Images:
Become: As we are more fully ourselves...we can stand in our own truth...in our own love.
Vintage netting with scattered bead "crown"
Close up of hand created tassels
Vintage lace of slip.
May we all open our Hearts to
Mother Earth
and Each Other.
Thank you for joining
me on this journey of
The Black Madonna.
Details: Body: Sculpted clay head with silk - linen weave- overlay. Body sewn in same silk. Dyes of water color and natural dyes. Hand Painted eyes, Hair- silk yarn and tussah silk.
Costuming: Under kimono- Vintage kimono distressed and banded. Fabric manipulation stabilized with freeform topstitching. Foundation dupioni silk. Over skirt- kimono silk overdyed and banded. Fabric manipulation stabilized with freeform topstitching. Foundation fabric vintage kimono silk. Under slip vintage kimono liner silk over dyed. Lace vintage.
Quotes:
Communication with Mother Earth is the highest form of prayer.
Time to Heal Renew Grow Become
Wall Piece: 32 inches.
Inquiries or more information,
please contact leslieolearyart@gmail.com
