A spiral is a curve emanating from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the same point. Spirals twist upon themselves, and therein lies the beauty and the strength of this enduring symbol. Coincidentally, I often paint spirals in my hand-dyed textiles and they feature prominently in my quilt compositions. I find it interesting that the spiral is essentially a mathematical equation as in the Fibonacci Sequence and Archimedian spiral. (Anyone who knows me sees the irony in my fascination with a concept that is essentially mathematical in nature.)
Spirals in plants and animals are frequently described as whorls, as are fingerprints. My first spiral-inspired art quilt is fittingly entitled Memories Like Fingerprints, a song lyric that has stuck with me lately. The process of creating spirals involves stitching together layers of fabric, then cutting away curves to reveal the spiral pattern. The process reminds me of walking a spiral labyrinth (which, if you haven’t done so, I highly recommend.) Both are meditative processes requiring engagement and detachment. Perhaps that is why I find creating spiral-inspired artwork so satisfying.
I began creating a spiral series as Black Lives Matter protests engulfed the nation in a prolonged tug-of-war erupting in real time. As I sought solace from the chaos, I found peace and order through spiral-making. The process of stitching textiles together, cutting away the layers and finding beauty in both the resistance of the fabric and ultimately (hopefully) in the orderly design continues to serve as a metaphor for what we are living in the moment.
While researching spirals, I stumbled upon a thought-provoking exploration of the spiritual, cultural and historical significance of the spiral by Scottish writer and poet Geoff Ward. The author describes this powerful symbol as “The eternal sign of the creative and organising principle at work in the universe.” You may find his research of interest at this particular moment in history, too.
