Jenny Rieke :: Stitches
Shared Resource
The first brushstrokes on this cotton prayercloth came of a meeting with two dear friends. Over the course of several years I embellished further with more paint, stitches, appliqué, butterfly wings, beads, and fringe. The image is a portrait of Source releasing the flow of energy touching us all.
Balance Dance
Ogotemmeli, an African myth teller, describes the formation of the social order of the Third World. He tells of a heartbeat-driven choreography in which the seventh ancestor Nummo vomits dougue stones in the outline of a human’s soul. Eight dougues represented eight elders at the origin of mankind, as well as the most important part of a human- the joints. The dancebeat of creation merges this figure with symbols of the I Ching to express the struggle and power of a balanced life. Stitched paths from the I Ching lines converge in the eye of the dancer’s needle, a rhythmic stream of energy. Grounding forces of earth and water anchor this piece.
Pillows
Cotton print fabric, Polyester velvet, rayon ribbon, glass beads
Bowl 1
crocheted videotape & recycled wool yarn, polyester lining, glass beads