I am currently sorting some heaps of paperwork after returning from the US last week. It’s urgent now, as for months before I went I had just been heaping stuff up out of the way without order, propped up to stop it sliding around. But now I want to start some new work with order and no clutter around me. I’ve found the book stuff, and lots of little bits and pieces relevant to it, and have filed them all together, but there’s a ton of work to be done, so that’s set aside for the moment.

One thing that came to the top last night was an Australian contemporary quilt exhibition review in which my piece, Fire Danger 2, shown above, was described as being made “with reference to the kimono”. Granted the shape might suggest a short sleeved, short-waisted jacket, but a kimono? I am very careful to avoid appropriation of cultural images from anywhere. My artist statements have never included any mention of Japan, the language, the culture or travel there, and I have never used any of the currently fashionable old and many-times-mended Japanese textiles in my work – IMHO inappropriate for most of us in the Western world, unless we are making some kind of culturally relevant statement.

So, I allowed a silly, vacuous statement to irritiate me a little. Feel free to comment!