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The Birth of the Textile Towers #3 - Prudence




"Prudence is a virtue that has two eyes, one that foresees what one has to do, the other examines afterwards what one has done."  ... Telemachus, the son of Odysseus displays the characteristics of caution yet good judgement in the classical tale, and this textile tower is a validation of discretion and sensible reasoning in decision making. Recalling the above quotation, it is ironic that I created a figurative depiction of Telemachus, with both eyes closed yet the symbolic 'armour" is covered with a pattern of eyes.  Telemachus appears as a smaller figure than the sculptures of Penelope and Odysseus, his mother and father as if his development is incomplete. The tower has three vertical poles and is the least complex of the three in construction and detailed work. 

The tower  "walls" feature images of  maps and stitched directional aids to assist "careful planning" and the avoidance of unnecessary risks. Ancient hand drawn maps were copied onto organza, layered  and stitched over hand dyed and waxed cotton.
 

 I also chose green  and earthy tones  to indicate balanced efficiency and secure harmony. Some of the features of this tower are a piece of hand embroidered linen, which was then manipulated and layered and restitched by machine to create "land contours"  and a motif made by pooling hot glue and then stamping into the shape while it is still warm. 

Like the other figures, Telemachus is a essentially a cloth "stump"  doll with a clay head, created from paper clay and them covered with  butter muslin (cheesecloth)  and coloured with acrylic paint.  
The three towers, Perseverance, Patience and Prudence  are by far the largest works in a series I have completed, and together display many different textile and mixed media art techniques. They are great resource material for any textile art student, and I hope that my explanation h=of how the towers were born has been useful. ... Please scroll down the blog posts for explanations of the other two towers.
To acquire these art works either as a series or as a stand alone art work, please contact Timeless Textiles Gallery,  via the website or at 90 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW Australia. 
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