Member Profile - Linda Strowbridge (Baltimore, MD)

There’s an old saying about analyzing art that goes, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.”

I stitch about architecture, which is probably an equally absurd, but intriguing, challenge.

My interest in the environments we build for ourselves has been fueled by growing up in Newfoundland and later moving to Nova Scotia, Ontario, Chicago and Baltimore. A few years ago, I started making art quilts that explore architectural themes - the striking graphics of built environments, the beauty of decaying buildings, the ways that building styles reflect the energy and attitudes of the people using them, and the ongoing tug between nature and architecture.

I have never attended art school, so this activity also involves an endlessly fascinating (and often frustrating) quest to better comprehend the interplay of colors, the fundamentals of good composition, the impact of adding texture to cloth, and how all of those elements combine and influence the effectiveness of a piece of textile art.

The Hapless Super's Tenement House
44 x 26 inches