A Needle in a Haystack - Textile Art Installation by Jackie Partridge

A Needle in a Haystack by Jackie Partridge

wall piece: 4.5'x 4 floor piece 3.3'x 3', found fabric, sewing, 2015-2016

Braided strips of found fabric create an abstracted hay bale referencing the traditional rag rug. The two hay bales are attached together with a long braid like umbilical cord connecting generations.  This textile artwork was created by Jackie Partridge in 2015-2016 while I was completing my MFA at Concordia University.

This artwork is inspired by my family heritage of farming and my matriarchal line. Both of my grandparents were farmers and my mom’s parents owned a family century owned farm.

Growing up, I had 8 grandmothers including great-grandmothers and great-great grandmothers. My matriarchal line was very skilled in sewing, embroidery, knitting and crochet which really inspired me to pursue textile art and study it during my MFA.

This is a piece of past artwork from the archive. To see my current artwork - click here!

To see my current work follow me on social media -click any of the icons below!

Related Articles:

Trail- 20 foot arm-knitted lace textile art installation

Trapped- textile art installation with hand dyed and hand embroidered dish cloths

Why I became an artist

To hear about new artwork -sign up here to be the first to know!

Birds Adapted: for Flight or Fancy - Juried Exhibition 2019

For the fall,  I will be participating in a group art exhibition curated by Teresa Seaton at the Teresa Seaton Gallery in Burlington, Ontario. You can see the details of the exhibition as well as my art in the exhibition’s catalogue below. See artwork from myself - Jackie Partridge and other local artists

Birds Adapted: for Flight or Fancy is a juried exhibition I am a part of that is at the Teresa Seaton Gallery in Burlington, ON from Aug. 14-Oct. 26, 2019.

Here is a page about my installation Nestled that was a part of the group exhibition catalogue.

In this exhibition I am displaying my installation Nestled made from twisted map paper to resemble a nest or a home. I have exhibited Nestled before on the floor. This will be the first time exhibiting Nestled up high. I was excited to present the artwork this way because I think it will look more like a nest. This piece is very textured as strands of twisted map paper interweave together. What I like about this piece is that it can transform depending where it is installed. I can keep twisting map paper and add to the size of this artwork. I will have some pieces of map paper on the floor as well to invite viewers to look up. This installation is also related to the installation Precariously Perched where I have strands of twisted maps that balance on tiny pins and nails, resting in a fragile state against the wall. 

In my art practice, I love working with the same materials and reworking them to make new art installations. 

To learn more about this project you can take a look at it here!

To see current artwork - click here!

Here is a page about my installation Nestled that was a part of the group exhibition catalogue.

To check out my other artwork -click here!

Follow me on social media by clicking one of the icons below to stay connected and learn about future art exhibitions and art news! If you see my art at exhibitions please use the hashtag #jackiepartridge so I can see it too.