Bonnie Peterson textiles and embellished maps

Artist Statement

My textiles and paper maps chronicle my adventures in the wilderness and through life.

I developed an early passion for the outdoors while backpacking at summer camp and sailing with my Dad on Lake Michigan. A pivotal change in my family's life occurred in 1971 when my father was hired to set up an anesthesia program at the university in Zaire (Congo). The experience of living in Zaire motivated my interest in human rights issues.

I embroider a great deal of text on each surface. For this I employ thick wool and rayon threads often in a large cursive style. I use my hands to guide the sewing machine needle through many thicknesses of fabric. The words are from my own travel or personal journals and historic quotations. I transfer my photographs to silk then cut the silk images into small scraps and fasten them back together using large, irregular primitive stitches. I tell stories about what I see and experience in the back country, or stories about my family and social issues. I like to use velvet because of the softness and deep color saturation; brocade because of the complex thread design or weaving, and silk because of its reflectivity and color brightness.

I want the work to resemble early 20th century Victorian crazy quilts, or old tapestries I've seen in dark museum hallways. From far away, the viewer is drawn in by the texture, richness and color; by the fantasy of touching the work. Closer up, the viewer deciphers a message, sometimes poignant, and sometimes just another adventure story.

Biography

Bonnie Peterson received Illinois Arts Council grants in 2003, 2000 and 1995, a grant from the Illinois Committee, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and other prizes.   She was an Artist-In-Residence at Yosemite,  Rocky Mountain, Isle Royale, and Crater Lake National Parks.  Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Arts and Design, NYC, the National Park Service and private collections.  She has an extensive exhibition record, an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana and an MBA from DePaul University.