With traditional patchwork techniques, Ida Pettersson Preutz creates anything but traditional patterns in her studio in Älmhult. Instead, her work bursts with color and optical illusions, reminiscent of 1960s Op Art pioneers like Victor Vasarely, Bridget Riley, and Sweden’s own KG Nilsson.
Pettersson Preutz’s artworks are built on repeated geometric forms. Triangles and squares are assembled into increasingly larger shapes. The patterns and repetitions, combined with vibrant colors, draw the viewer in—depending on the angle of view, the pieces shift and play tricks on our perception.
Pettersson Preutz herself notes that the obvious choice would be to paint these illusions, but she enjoys introducing a material that, in a sense, disrupts them. She has found a cotton fabric that is stiff enough to work with, yet still resists control—the pieces sway in the wind and refuse to be fully tamed.
The material is also a way for Pettersson Preutz to create within a process she enjoys and feels at home in—while also being challenged by it. She often works in series of three pieces, beginning with small-scale sketches. Shapes are moved around to find rhythm and connection. She then screen prints or paints the fabric in her desired colors and shades, before cutting it up and meticulously sewing it back together. When sewing, she considers how the pattern will be displayed: some pieces require tensioned fabric, while others can remain looser. Sometimes she works with very large elements, other times with tiny ones. The front and back are both equal and entirely different—the perfected front side is complemented by the open back, revealing the craft and time behind each piece.
Vernissage
Welcome to the vernissage 18 june at 17.00 – 19.00!
