Libby Chaney
Artist Statement
I mix the traditions of quilt making, collage and drawing. Departing from conventional quilt making, I have developed a technique that counts on the blurring of raw edges between fabrics and the blending of their patterns. Departing from conventional collage, I use cloth and sewing rather than paper and glue. I use thread for mark marking. My completed work is still thin and pliable and can be used as a conventional quilt. As art it hangs softly, as I think that cloth should.
The long histories of fiber and art speak to me. Each piece of cloth I use is saturated with meaning and mystery and comes into play with all the energy of designers, industry, places and times.
I begin my work with a certain color or shape. Using organic shapes, the pieces call for one another. I fit them in like a puzzle, overlapping just slightly. A conversation among the elements unfolds. The patterns, hues and tones start to move across the surface. I play with the movement, finding places to go and places for the eye to rest.
The inevitable occurs: a problem comes up. A problem of my own making. I have to come to terms with it, give up my favorite parts, try to figure a way out. Or a way further in.
My art process is a life process. It encompasses both joy and sorrow, anxiety and calm. I want art that holds my attention. As the work evolves and takes on a life of its own, it becomes a meditation. I travel through the forms and rhythms. My time and labors spent are given back to me a thousand-fold.
Artist Bio
Libby Chaney is a native of Lakewood, Ohio. She has a BFA from Ohio Wesleyan University. With her husband she has returned from many decades in California to her city and great lake and the four distinct seasons. Even in the winter, she enjoys the quality of life in “the best location in the nation.” Locally Libby’s work has been shown at the University of Chicago, Tregonning and Co, Maria Neil Art Project, Hedge Gallery, The Sandusky Cultural Center, Artist Archives of the Western Reserve, CAN. She recently received the Award of Excellence at the Mansfield Art Museum’s May Show. As a writer, Libby was the recipient of Literary Cleveland’s 2023-24 Residency in Non-fiction. She is currently at work on her memoir of life, death and grief.