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Crochet Quodlibet
Development
Lucy McKenzie, Quodlibet XXIII, (2012). Oil on canvas, 120 x 150 cm.
Lucy McKenzie, Quodlibet XII (Steven Purvis), (2011). Oil on canvas.
Lucy McKenzie's Quodlibet works heavily inspired this piece and were the starting point in the development of this painting.
A 'Quodlibet' ("Whatever you wish" in Latin) is a type of trompe l'oeil composition that typically depicts a group of domestic objects. Although these compositions are made to look random and the objects are made to look as if the have been accidentally arranged in this way, the placement of each is actually very carefully curated and considered.
Lucy McKenzie, Quodlibet XIII, (Janette Murray), (2010). Oil paint on canvas on board, 31 1⁄2 × 21 5⁄8″.
These three images are of some of Lucy McKenzie's Quodlibet works that I saw in person in the Tate Liverpool in February 2022. This was the first time that I was introduced to her work.
With Crochet Quodlibet, I wanted to create my own Quodlibet painting and exclusively use items associated with crochet instead.
Lucy McKenzie, Quodlibet XLVII, (2015). Oil paint and collage on canvas.
Lucy McKenzie, Quodlibet XL, (2014). Oil paint on canvas.
Jeff Wall, Knife Throw, (2008). Colour photograph, 75 3/8 x 104 x 2 in. (191.45 x 264.16 x 5.08 cm).
Jeff Wall, Boxing, (2011).
Jeff Wall's "cinematographic photographs" are also seemingly simple and appear as if they depict random events, however he painstakingly recreates certain situations or scenes that he encounters. This has, in some cases, taken him upwards of a year.
Jeff Wall. Milk. (1984). Silver dye bleach transparency; aluminum light box, Image: 6 ft. 2 1/2 in. × 7 ft. 6 1/4 in. (189.2 × 229.2 cm).
This is the selection of crochet tools I chose for this piece, which includes balls of wool, a case of needles, crochet hooks, stitch markers and scissors (not pictured is the hexagon work in progress that is now complete). For the background, I wanted to have something similar to the cork boards that are present in McKenzie's Quodlibet's (i.e., something flat and relatively plain so the objects will stand out), and I thought the foam boards that I use for blocking (a crochet technique) would work really well.
This was the composition I came up with in the end and the reference photo I used to create Crochet Quodlibet.
I also wanted this piece to have lots of really bright colours, so I kept this in mind as I was choosing the objects.
Laura Owens, Untitled, (2012). Acrylic, oil, Flashe, resin, pumice and collage on canvas, 108 x 84 inches.
Laura Owens, Untitled, (2012). Acrylic, oil, Flashe, resin, pumice and collage on canvas, 108 x 84 inches.
The gridded background of this piece is also reminiscent of Laura Owens' work - namely the similar grid pattern that can be observed in the background of a number of her abstract paintings
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