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The term “patchwork” originated from Europe and North America and its designs and developments are closely related to the pioneering culture of the United States. Over time, patchwork has evolved being from a utility-based practice in people’s everyday lives to serving as an important social activity. In fact, patchwork has transformed from a form of needlework performed by women to a phenomenon that reflects the culture, local customs, economic conditions, political situations, and aesthetic movements of a society. Today, patchwork has become a type of artistic creation.
This study titled “A Passage of Time: The Forms and Colors of Patchwork Creations,” was inspired by the forms and colors of the spring, summer, fall, and winter. The various stages of the four seasons were joined together, in which patchwork techniques were used to create 24 art works that exemplified the essence of the 24 solar terms (e.g., Lichun, Yushui, Jingzhe, Chunfen, Qingming, Guyu, and Lixia) of the four seasons.
Eastern and Western patchwork creation techniques show commonality. For example, Chinese totem pattern-based patchwork features not only unique shapes and colors, but also fascinating allegories with symbolic meanings; the same characteristics can be observed in traditional American patchwork designs. In this study, art creations were fabricated on fabrics, in which traditional patchwork techniques were used, ink wash painting techniques were employed (to increase fabric richness), and techniques involving the use of multimedia materials such as knitting wool and sheep’s wool were utilized. The goals were to transcend traditional patchwork models, transform abstract thinking into visual images, and illustrate the new styles and features of modern patchwork.
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