Embroidered Picture c. 1936

This embroidered picture was stitched by Gordena Jackson sometime in the twentieth century. It’s a still life of flowers in a vase, but made with thread. I imagine Jackson building up the image slowly, each stitch a deliberate mark. The texture is soft and inviting, a tactile translation of color and form. The blues in the vase lead your eye up to the riot of color in the flowers. You know, there’s a sense of play here, a joy in the making. I get the feeling Jackson wasn’t trying to mimic reality perfectly, but instead letting her imagination bloom. Each flower has a unique personality, each different type offering a different texture and color. The work reminds me of Matisse’s cut-outs, or maybe even some outsider art, in the way it confidently embraces its own unique logic. Jackson's work shows how different forms of art can each offer different ways of seeing and experiencing the world.