The Lilac Dress

Maker:

Val Jackson

Date:

2014

This stunning, densely quilted and embroidered piece uses the shape of a dress garment to act as a canvas to explore the role and image of women in the 1950s. Text and images are juxtaposed to examine the often conflicting values of the era in which the artist grew up. Her imagery mixes the different roles of women, from the glamourous fashionable dresses and strict foundation wear to achieve the right shape to the more practical utility wear of the weary housewife. The text is taken from advice manuals and popular culture, that advises women do their utmost to present an effortless presentation of domestic beauty for their husband’s arrival home from work.

This piece is one of a series of works made along the same theme by quilt artist Val Jackson. Val is a member of Quilt Art, a international quilt group that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015. The exhibitions ‘Dialogues’ and ‘Small Talk’ contained work by 18 members and travelled across the U.K. and internationally to Germany, The Netherlands, France and the U.S. This piece featured in the last exhibition at The Quilt Museum and Gallery before its closure in October 2015. Quilt Art are known for their excellent standards of workmanship as well as their innovative approach, pushing the boundaries of contemporary quilting