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Homesick, 2020, detail.
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We recently visited the New England Quilt Museum to see this exhibit, Wood Quilts, by Laura Petrovich-Cheney. I had previously seen a small selection of her salvaged wood sculptures, with designs inspired by patchwork quilts, at the Fuller Craft Museum. It was great to see even more of her work, which is on view through December 31, 2021.
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Homesick, 2020.
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Gallery overview.
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Ms. Petrovich-Cheney uses shop tools - band saws, sanders, etc. - to cut the salvaged wood into her desired shapes. She doesn't paint the pieces; the colors are as found. A video of her process is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8ptQAvhLUs
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Roll with the Changes, 2021.
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From the wall text:
Creating abstract patterns is my way of dealing with life's ambiguities and uncertainties. After Hurricane Sandy, when that storm destroyed my childhood home, I realized how quickly home and community could be destroyed and forever changed. After the devastation, I collected the wooden debris that was scattered throughout the remains of the broken communities. My takeaway from the storm left me more compassionate, empathetic and acutely aware of how life altering an unexpected event can be.
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Heart Centered, 2021
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Heart Centered, detail.
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Wall text, cont'd:
Dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets, cedar siding, doors - anything made of wood is now my raw material. I believe that material has memory. I never paint or repair what I find - the faded colors, scratches, nail holes mark the passage of time and are vital remainders of a once-lived life. Working with discarded materials invites exploration of ideas universal to the human experience: nostalgia, second chances, renewal, memory, and the beauty of imperfection.
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All Directions Point That Way, 2021.
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The traditional quilt patterns referenced in the wood sculptures include Blazing Star, above, and Postage Stamp (many, many tiny pieces) below. In the piece below, an early work, Ms. Petrovich-Cheney utilized wood from damaged structures, found after Hurricane Sandy, and purpose-painted new birch wood squares.
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Onezie, 2015.
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Onezie, detail. All squares are 1" in size.
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Center Stage, 2015.
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Around it Goes, 2018.
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Plaid, 2018.
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Some of the designs, such as the one above, are inspired by woven textile designers, including Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney and Julia Bland.
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Plaid, detail.
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Crazy Quilt, 2021.
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Other influences which Petrovich-Cheney acknowledges include Indian textile artisans, including Premaben Versinh Dangera, a rural villager who makes quilts in her own improvisational style.
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Pathways (Find Your Way), 2019.
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And lastly, a wood quilt based on an updated kaleidoscope pattern; the skillfully placed colors just vibrate.
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The Light in Your Eyes, 2021.
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