Art Map Burlington, October 2007

ART REVIEW

Jude Bond

Longtime local artist and teacher Jude Bond constructs humorous and provocative narratives from textiles and reconstituted materials. Inspired by cliches that are embedded in our cultural consciousness, Bond recently exhibited two series of work at the FLYNNDOG.

“Off the Top of My Head” is a parade of vibrant hats, each christened with an idiom like A Stitch in Time or The Game of Love (a white cap adorned with bride and groom doves, nesting on pearl-studded tulle.) A splendid burst of false flowers arranged like a cloche is titled A Modicum of Self Control.

In the second series, “Every Cliche in the Book,” Bond constructs layered art textiles with food-related titles. Her adventurous approach to materials is clear throughout: burlap, children’s clothing, ribbons, sewing needles, fur, crocheted flowers, diaper pins and fake fruit all make an appearance. Many of the wall-hung pieces in the series are punctuated with colorful appendages trailing to the floor, seeming like stand-ins for dependence or temptation.

Tomatoes (mixed media sculpture, 2007) consists of seven free-standing figures made with thick bent wire, pink and white tulle and fabrics, and antique kitchen utensils.These last (an egg beater, a meat fork, a cheese grater, etc.) extend upwards from bridal bases like antennae or limbs raised heavenward. One sculpture could be a pink-and-white peony, a wedding cake, or fanned-out petticoats. This is one wonderful thing about Bond’s work: the associations it inspires in the observer. The use of 1950s textiles, the references to feminine myths, childhood joys, fears and expectations, domesticity and prettiness are all especially striking, depicted through the lens of cliche.

Throughout, the artist brilliantly captures the insidious nature of cliches, showing how they can seep into a culture and evolve in meaning.This is the sweet stuff of childhood subverted, or at least rethought. Bond is clearly well-versed in the technical elements of her work, but perhaps more important for the viewer is her spirited approach, curiosity, and limitless creativity.

G. BLAKE MACPHAIL

Art Map Burlington ARTICLE
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Forbidden Fruit Art Textile 2006 32. FLYNNDOG 208 Flynn Avenue (802) 363-4746 www.flynndog.net		ART REVIEW Jude Bond Longtime local artist and teacher Jude Bond constructs humorous and provocative narratives from textiles and reconstituted materials. Inspired by cliches that are embedded in our cultural consciousness, Bond recently exhibited two series of work at the FLYNNDOG. “Off the Top of My Head” is a parade of vibrant hats, each christened with an idiom like A Stitch in Time or The Game of Love (a white cap adorned with bride and groom doves, nesting on pearl-studded tulle.) A splendid burst of false flowers arranged like a cloche is titled A Modicum of Self Control. In the second series, “Every Cliche in the Book,” Bond constructs layered art textiles with food-related titles. Her adventurous approach to materials is clear throughout: burlap, children’s clothing, ribbons, sewing needles, fur, crocheted flowers, diaper pins and fake fruit all make an appearance. Many of the wall-hung pieces in the series are punctuated with colorful appendages trailing to the floor, seeming like stand-ins for dependence or temptation. Tomatoes (mixed media sculpture, 2007) consists of seven free-standing figures made with thick bent wire, pink and white tulle and fabrics, and antique kitchen utensils.These last (an egg beater, a meat fork, a cheese grater, etc.) extend upwards from bridal bases like antennae or limbs raised heavenward. One sculpture could be a pink-and-white peony, a wedding cake, or fanned-out petticoats. This is one wonderful thing about Bond’s work: the associations it inspires in the observer. The use of 1950s textiles, the references to feminine myths, childhood joys, fears and expectations, domesticity and prettiness are all especially striking, depicted through the lens of cliche. Throughout, the artist brilliantly captures the insidious nature of cliches, showing how they can seep into a culture and evolve in meaning.This is the sweet stuff of childhood subverted, or at least rethought. Bond is clearly well-versed in the technical elements of her work, but perhaps more important for the viewer is her spirited approach, curiosity, and limitless creativity. G. BLAKE MACPHAIL
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