COLLECTION NAME:
Art and Art History Student Work
mediaCollectionId
ArtArtHi~6~6
Art and Art History Student Work
Collection
true
Image File Name:
vrc_20230927_008
image_file_name
vrc_20230927_008
Image File Name
false
Image Record ID:
aahi0030033
image_record_id
aahi0030033
Image Record ID
false
Work Title (display):
I Want To Be New
Image Title:
overhead view
Work Description:
Quilts serve us in myriad ways: they pass down our histories, document knowledge, commemorate life events, beautify our lives, keep secrets, innovate art making, and unite us in our pursuit of social reform. By picking up needle and thread, we miraculously forge a voice for ourselves with which we are free to speak about anything, even matters for which there are no words. This is the supernatural essence of quilting: the capacity to pull empowerment out of thin air with a bitty piece of metal, twisted strands of fiber, and snippets of cloth. // In order to illustrate the remarkable range and mind-boggling dynamism of quilters throughout human civilization, I have created a dozen quilts that spotlight a selection of heavy-hitting genres: Story, Memory, Mourning, Art, Sampler, Activist, and Coded. By dipping into a variety of categories whose origins span 2,200 years, I am able to give an overview containing specific areas of focus, demonstrating what makes each tradition distinct, but because quilts embody a spirit of freedom, they will not be confined by strict classification. The traditions overlap in content, emotion, and form. As quilters continue to break rules and share knowledge, genres of quilting will continue to evolve, merge and diverge. // The quilt is sometimes compared to painting, but I think it’s more like a flag: a usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol (as of a nation), as a signaling device, or as a decoration. Our stories and identities are tightly sutured to them. Quilts, like flags, are emblematic of our contradictions: our strength and fragility, our troubles and ideals, our neediness and richness. We wrap ourselves in them when we are frightened and display them in our homes to remind us who we are. They know all about us. // As a bona fide labor of love, quilting can’t help but add more goodness than wickedness to the world. And yet, quilts are battle flags, each one declaring war on erasure, indifference, injustice, status, homogeneity, drabness, or a mixture of the above. Working both individually and communally, quilters bind us to one another through our stories and our feelings. We uncover the threads that connect the personal to the global and use them to fashion colorful artworks that change the world. // To be clear: this is not over, not even a little bit. The wherewithal to speak, to craft empowerment from next to nothing, will never die as long as quilting is alive.
Work Dates (display):
2023
Work Dates type:
creation
Work Creator (display):
Marcella Marsella (American, born 1983)
Work Creator gender:
female
work_creator_or_agent_gender
female
Work Creator gender
false
Work Creator notes (display):
Written thesis: https://scholar.col
Work Creator UCB affiliation (display):
2023 MFA exhibition, Art and Art History
Work Creator memberOf:
Painting and Drawing student, Art and Art History, CU Boulder
Work Subject:
newness
subject
newness
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
fear
subject
fear
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
depression (psychological concept)
subject
depression (psychological concept)
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
births
subject
births
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
abuse
subject
abuse
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
memory
subject
memory
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
activists
subject
activists
Work Subject
false
Work Subject:
trauma (emotional)
subject
trauma (emotional)
Work Subject
false
Work Worktype:
sculpture (visual works)
work_type
sculpture (visual works)
Work Worktype
false
Work Worktype:
textiles
work_type
textiles
Work Worktype
false
Work Category (VRC classification):
textiles
work_category__ucbaahvrc_classification_
textiles
Work Category (VRC classification)
false
Work Material and Technique (display):
bed frame, embroidery transfers, floral appliqué, mattress, nursery fabric, pillows, satin binding, thermochromic dye, used bed sheets, yarn & the artist’s receiving blanket
Work Measurements (display):
98 (L) in x 93 in (W) x 22 in (H)
Work Location (Repository or Site) name:
University of Colorado Art Museum
Work Location (Repository or Site) role:
exhibition
Work Location (Geographic) name:
Boulder, Colorado
Image Rights (display):
© Marcella Marsella
Work Rights (display):
© Marcella Marsella
Terms of Agreement and Conditions of Use:
YOU AGREE: Luna Imaging's Insight Software and the digital image collection associated with it (the Software) are being provided by the University of Colorado under the following license. By obtaining, using, and/or copying this work, you (the Licensee) agree that you have read, understood, and will comply with the following terms and conditions. 1. The Software contains the University of Colorado's Department of Art and Art History's implementation of a digital media collection; 2. Any media obtained through use of the Software will be used only for non-profit, educational purposes, unless the copyright statement in a given record expressly permits other uses; 3. The use of media obtained through collections in the software that are restricted to University of Colorado users will only be used while the Licensee is either: a) an employee of the University of Colorado, or b) an enrolled student at the University of Colorado; 4. When the Licensee is no longer an employee or student of the University of Colorado, either by an action of the University of Colorado or due to actions of the Licensee, the licensee will cease to use any media exported from the Department of Art and Art History's digital media collection that are restricted to University of Colorado users; 5. The Licensee agrees to indemnify the University for claims and liability arising out of the use of the Software or for any violations of this license; 6. THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SUPPLIES THE SOFTWARE WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
CU Copyright Statement:
The contents of this collection are available for your use in research, teaching, and private study. Some of these items are protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) and some items may have additional restrictions. If you use the items in this collection, make sure you abide by any restrictions stated in the descriptive data. The nature of these collections often makes it difficult to determine the copyright status of an item. We have made every effort to provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions in the descriptive data window. Ultimately, however, it is your responsibility to use the item according to the terms governing its use. If you are a copyright holder and the information is either not listed or listed incorrectly, please let us know so that we can update the information on our site.
Holding Institution:
University of Colorado Boulder
Collection:
Art and Art History Visual Resources Center
Subcollection:
Art and Art History Student Work Archive
Collection info and contact:
For information about this collection, see https://www.colorad
For specific questions, suggestions, or corrections about the descriptive information for images, contact aahvrc@colorado.edu. Please include the image file name.