YIN YIN

 Yin Yin side a   2013
27 inches high, 36 inches wide
materials:  plant dyed linen, procion dyed velvet, cotton thread, wool batt, backed with wool gauze
techniques:  reverse of reverse applique, hand quilting

Yin Yin side b   2013
27 inches high, 36 inches wide
materials:   natural wool gauze, procion dyed silk velvet, cotton button thread, wool batt, backed with plant dyed linen
techniques:  reverse applique, hand quilting

The title reminds us that this piece does not have an outer  side, rather it has two inner sides.  No yang, just two yin.

Exhibition record:

2014: Lucky Protection  solo exhibition Northern Artist Gallery, Sudbury Ontario

2014: Visions: The Sky's The Limit  juried exhibition, Visions Art Museum, San Diego, California,  USA    jurors Sue Benner and Patty Hawkins
Award:  Friends of Fiber Art International as the quilt that most reflects the universality of artistic expression  Published:  Visions: The Sky's The Limit catalogue

2015: available at David Kaye Gallery  Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2019: available at Guildworks Gallery, Bloomfield Ontario, Canada

2023: Inside Out  solo exhibition Homer Watson Gallery, Kitchener Ontario

2023: Stardust solo exhibition Gore Bay Museum, Gore Bay Ontario, Canada

2024: Softer and Dreamier solo exhibition Festival of Quilts Birmingham, UK 

2025:  entered private collection, Colorado USA

Not To Know But To Go On

     Not To Know But To Go On, 2013
    Installation Thunder Bay Art Gallery, September 13-October 27 2013 
    66.75 metres h x 35.5 cm w x 1 cm d
    Materials: artist canvas, found fabrics, cotton embroidery floss, cotton tape
    Technique: couching by hand.                                       Photo:  Klaus Rossler
    Part of the Mended World exhibition

     Not To Know But To Go On, 2013
     Installation Thunder Bay Art Gallery, September 13-October 27 2013
     full view on 50 foot wall, part of Mended World exhibition
     66.75 metres h x 35.5 cm w x 1 cm d
     Materials: artist canvas, found fabrics, cotton embroidery floss, cotton tape
    Technique: couching by hand.                                        Photo:  Klaus Rossler

      Not To Know But To Go On, 2013

Installation Art Gallery of Sudbury, January 19 – March 2, 2014  (detail)

66.75 metres h x 35.5 cm w x 1 cm d

Materials: artist canvas, found fabrics, cotton embroidery floss, cotton tape

Technique: couching by hand.                                               Photo:  Judy Martin

Included in the Mended World exhibition

Not to Know But To Go On is based on the private, daily ritual of writing a diary.  It also
refers to the Finnish rag rugs of Judy Martin's cultural heritage, but is stitched, not woven. 

For exactly three years the artist maintained a daily practice of couching strips of found 
fabric to canvas with one complete skein of cotton embroidery floss.  Because we do not 
know what each day will bring, the day’s thread was selected with eyes closed. Over one
thousand days were thus lived through and marked. 

Not just memories, but dreams and plans for the future are held within the work, and not just from that day when it was created, but also new ones. The combination of simplicity and subtle human touch transports us into an inner world of dream and self-knowledge.

Exhibition record

This piece is an important part of the Mended World exhibition.  This exhibition has been mounted in three public art galleries in Ontario, Canada. 
Thunder Bay Art Gallery:  September 13 - October 27, 2013

Art Gallery of Sudbury.  January 19 - March 2, 2014

As well, Not To Know But To Go On was exhibited as a solo exhibition as part of the 
World of Threads festival, Oakville Ontario :  November 1 - November 30, 2014.  The World of Threads installation was from the ceiling - shown below.

Not To Know But To Go On was most recently exhibited July 12 - August 9 2018 at the Mary E Black Gallery in Halifax Nova Scotia as part of the exhibition Cloth of Time, a Two person exhibition with Penny Berens and Judy Martin.  For that exhibition, it hung in the centre of the gallery space, from the ceiling.  

There is a poem-booklet entitled Not To Know But To Go On available from the artist.

In 2019- 2023 Not To Know But To Go On toured the USA in the SAQA organized exhibition, 3-D Expressions.  The works in this exhibition were selected by Bruce Hoffman.  Venues included:  

Mended World Exhibition

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Installation, September 13-October 27, 2013, photo Klaus Rossler

   Art Gallery of Sudbury Installation, January 19 – March 2, 2014, photo Judy Martin

  Art Gallery of Sudbury Installation, January 19 – March 2, 2014, photo Judy Martin

The Mended World Exhibition consisted of the four meditation panels of the Manitoulin Circle Project,  Trinity (the small panel), Book of Hands (two books).
Included in the Mended World exhibition are the stitched journals Not to Know But To Go On and Cloud of Time.  

A catalog for the exhibition was published by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.  Dr. Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, scholar in material art, was invited to write the catalog essay.  

Cover image for the Mended World catalog is of Not to know but to go on , photo Judy Martin

Book of Hands

 Book of Hands, 2013, two volumes, each 96 pages, each 40h x 28w x 5d cm. 

       Materials: Indian hand made paper, dye transfer, solvent transfer, felt, graphite,
                       digital ink jet photographs.                                  Photo: Klaus Rossler

 Detail:  Book of Hands, 2013,                                                        Photo: Judy Martin

Book of Hands records the participation of the wider community in the four year long community circle project.  Each participant's (144 in total) traced hand and signature is included.  Chronological and alphabetical lists of the names of participants included, as well as some digital photographs documenting the making of the meditation panels: Earth Ark, Mended World, Precious Water, Layers of Time.

These two books accompany the meditation panels and are permanently installed in the Little Current United Church in Little Current, Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada.

They are also part of the Mended World exhibition.

September 13 - October 27, 2013 - Thunder Bay Art Gallery

January 19 - March 2, 2014 - Art Gallery of Sudbury
May 9 - June 14, 2015 - Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener Ontario

Layers of Time

     Layers of Time, 2013, 233h x 233w x 1d cm,   (92" x 92")

Materials: re-cycled wool blanket, re-purposed domestic lace, re-cycled linen damask, foundation fabrics (light weight wool, light weight cotton, plant dyed linen), re-cycled wedding dress, silk ribbon, perle cotton #5 and #3, cordonnet lace making thread, glass beads, sewing and quilting threads, bamboo batting, backed with linen damask pieced with cotton designed by marimekko.   

Techniques:  Layering onto foundation fabrics by hand, hand stitching, hand embroidery, hand quilting, made with community assistance.  Photo:  Klaus Rossler

exhibition history

This quilt is part of the Manitoulin Circle Project which took place over four years in Little Current Manitoulin Island under the leadership of Judy Martin.  149 community members took part in hand stitching four large meditation panels.
Layers of Time was part of the solo exhibition, Mended World.  Organized by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery (catalog)

September 13 - October 27, 2013  Thunder Bay Art Gallery, part of the Mended World Exhibition
January 19 - March 2, 2014  Art Gallery of Sudbury, Mended World Exhibition

Easter Sunday April 20, 2014,  The four panels are installed in the Little Current United Church for permanent display.

October 18-20  2014, Manitoulin Circle Project, Espanola Fibre Festival,  Judy Martin key note speech
November, 2014:  World of Threads Festival, Oakville, Ontario.  The four large panels are shown in solo exhibition at the festival.
May 9 - June 14 2015, Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener Ontario, Mended World Exhibition

October 2015;  The 4 large panels traveled to Gros Morne, Newfoundland for the fibreconference sponsored by the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Judy Martin taught a workshop based on the technique and design of the panels.

Precious Water

  Precious Water, 2013, 218h x 218w x 1d cm,   (86" x 86")

 Materials: re-cycled linen damask, commercially embroidered linen, rayon damask, silk, cotton, silk floss, perle cotton #5, heat activated shrinking material, sewing and quilting threads, bamboo batting, backed with linen damask pieced with a cotton panel designed by marimekko. 

 Technique: hand embroidery, heat activated shrinking, reverse appliqué, hand piecework, hand quilting, made with community assistance.  Photo:  Klaus Rossler

Exhibition History

This quilt is part of the Manitoulin Circle Project which took place over four years in Little Current Manitoulin Island under the leadership of Judy Martin.  144 community members took part in hand stitching four large meditation panels.
It went on exhibition as part of the solo exhibition, Mended World.  Organized by the Thunder Bay Art Gallery (catalog)

September 13 - October 27, 2013  Thunder Bay Art Gallery,  Mended World Exhibition
January 19 - March 2, 2014  Art Gallery of Sudbury, Mended World Exhibition

Easter Sunday April 20, 2014,  The four panels are installed in the Little Current United Church for permanent display.

October, 2014:  Espanola United Church.  The five panels are installed for the weekend of the Espanola Fibre Festival in the church's sanctuary.  Judy Martin gave the keynote address for the fibre festival that compared slow hand stitching to an act of social change.
November, 2014:  World of Threads Festival, Oakville, Ontario.  The four large panels are shown in solo exhibition at the festival.
May, 2015:  Homer Watson House and Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario.  The five panels were installed in solo exhibition.  
October 2015;  The 4 large panels traveled to Gros Morne, Newfoundland for the fibreconference sponsored by the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador.  Judy Martin taught a workshop based on the technique and design of the panels.