Reflections on the sloppy cross stitch / Vivienne Binns Retrospective

In my writing about my sloppy approach to stitching which emerged as an experimental feminist method of critical deskilling, I started pondering justifications for my continuous preference of cross stitch over other stitches. By sloppy I consider an application of stitch that is free form and in not preceded by any planning in terms of being representational so my cross stitches look quite uneven and are usually accumulative as I tend to focus on the processual repetition and rhythm, rather than the final outcome. This method has been prominently featured in the ongoing series of work titled Remediations.

Remediation II (detail)

Yesterday I saw the retrospective exhibition Vivienne Binns: On and through the Surface at the Museum of Contemporary Art which records 60 years of this artist's work.

Ever since I learned about Binns' painterly interventions into domestic sphere during my Honours year, I was curious to see her physical paintings that referenced house textiles such as tablecloths and cushion covers.

In memory of the unknown artist: woven plastic cloth, gift from Ruth Waller, 1996

Cross-stitch cushion cover from Steph (Jones), 2006

These references of house textiles feel like reclamations of their environments and the associated (anonymous) women's work by means of culturally acclaimed medium of painting historically dominated by men, elevating the simple and overlooked objects of everyday use to the status of painting.

However, I felt particularly strong resonance with the painting The aftermath and the ikon of fear which features multiple crosses painted across the painting of a landscape on canvas. Hearing the guide of the exhibition tour describe the cross-shaped brush strokes as expressing Binns' anger and rage in relation to gender inequity made me realise that perhaps the visceral motivation behind my cross stitches might be akin.

The aftermath and the ikon of fear, 1984-85.

The aftermath and the ikon of fear (details)

Although I have been discussing my approach to practicing as relating to the concepts of slow stitch and slow cloth, I have come to understand that this correlation assumes the slowness of my approach to textiles in terms of explicitly manual stitching and sewing without use of machines. However, it seems that the concept of slow stitch assumes focus and care in the use of thread while my application of stitches varies in speed and is often quite swift and irregular. This is likely the case due to my pursuit of a method that corresponds to my moods and sensory experiences in various environments and is, as discussed above, focused on repetitive, expressive mark making in thread. The crossing of the lines does seem to carry symbolic, as well as bodily implication of acts of rebellion.