This is one of a series of quilts Nancy Erickson has made in the shape of the animal she is portraying. Like many of her recent quilts, this cougar is marked with images of animals that reference neolithic cave paintings. They speak to the cougar's long relationship with humans, a relationship that stretches into prehistory and touches the deepest and most primal of our memories. As predators above us in the food chain, cougars inspire fear, respect and awe. We have long shared physical and psychological space with these great, solitary animals, who seem largely oblivious to us and seem to ask only that we leave them in peace. Erickson's quilt encourages us to see the distinct "otherness" and dignity of a fellow creature.
"In the mid 1990s I worked on quilted pieces that showed bears in caverns or in rooms formerly occupied by humans and covered with cave drawings of early animals," Erickson explains. "The bears wander through these environments, teaching their cubs about history. In this new series, Felis..., the ancient history is imprinted on the cougars; the cougars are freed of caves and rooms, and they move freely on the wall."
$6,000
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Detail, Felis Forever (4)
Detail, Felis Forever (4)
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