VALERIE S. GOODWIN
*Featured photo: Corrupt Connections, 2020, 41.5 x 58, Quilt National ‘21 – Quilt Japan Travel Prize, copyright Valerie S. Goodwin
Valerie S. Goodwin fiber artis, university lecturer and author, trained at the faculty of architecture at Washington University in St. Louis and at Yale University. For more than 26 years she taught architectural design at Florida A&M University.
Her work, featured in museums and private collections, has been widely published and exhibited receiving numerous awards and honors including 1st Place – Gadsden Art Center’s “31st Art in Gadsden Art Center’s Regional Exhibition of Fine Art” -Quincy, Florida; 1st Place — Artist Showcase 2010 Tallahassee Senior Foundation – Tallahassee, Fl.; Award of Merit – Carnegie Center 6th Annual “Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie” Exhibit, QUILT NATIONAL ’21 – Quilt Japan Travel Prize.
Most of Goodwin’s work is inspired by her love of aerial views of landscapes and cities. Many of her quilts are based on maps.
“My work is known for its use of intricate lines and shapes which create complex fiber art maps. Closer inspection of my work shows that these patterns are city blocks and landscapes inspired by aerial views of real and imaginary places. I combine my love of architecture and draw inspiration from architectural maps, plans, and concepts”.
Her art has gone through various phases, from traditional quilting to an interest in abstract expressionism, and is currently inspired by real and imaginary landscapes and cities. In some cases, his work shows an architectural sense of space with an archaeological perspective. In others, the network of the city and its built form are more prominent. These compositions work on multiple levels, from near and far, as if looking from above.
“Recently, I have added a series of fiber art maps that explore the possibilities of laser cut fabric. I am intrigued by the intricacy and complexity of the lines and shapes this technology can create. This new direction has given me the opportunity to further explore layering and transparency as well as light and shadow by creating what I call “lace-like” maps. Although it is a new direction, my work still focuses on the geometrical relationships, patterns & ordering principles found in architecture”.
