Our California Yarnscape tapestry pays homage to the traditional needlework crafts and the practical elements of comfort and warmth (via a blanket), family storytelling and communal bonding i.e. quilting, embroidery, crochet, etc. We marry those components with the utilitarian purposes of historical recording and memorializing icons inspired by Ancient Egypt’s written language; drawing influence from its aesthetics and formatting. We source the visuals of Outsider Art and Americana, repurpose the style of the 1970’s Granny Square and examine the semiotics of California culture.
California is imbued with such a rich and diverse index of peoples, cultures, iconography and fashion trends that it seemed relevant to talk about the entire “fabric” that it is comprised of. We didn’t want to limit the composition to a “plein air” landscape, but rather, consider the gamut of its cultural, industrial, commercial and geographical landscape. We want to talk about the environmental, political and social issues that California is currently facing. We want to magnify the beauty of the indigenous peoples, flora and fauna. We want to express the salad bowl of Asian, Latin, Africa, European and Middle Eastern communities. We want to have discourse on what California was, is and will be.
Our hope is that through this work, everyone who views it will be able to interpret something that is relevant to their lives, see themselves represented, and how their existence is contributing to the cultural fabric of California, and to unite everyone who resides here.
-Threadwinners
Alyssa Arney 