Edifice Complex, 37 x 59 inches, © 2005
My good friend Carol Krueger mentioned the above question in an e-mail conversation the other day, repeating something she had overheard at SOFA Chicago this past November. The speaker went on to say that it seems that this is what Americans always want to know – not what influenced or inspired the artist, as people from other countries might ask, but just how much time did you put into it.
This struck a chord with me, for this is without fail the number one question I am asked whenever the subject of my art comes up with strangers at a show reception or people I know from some other context, such as relatives or co-workers. I try to see it in a positive way, telling myself that this person is taking an interest in my work and just wants to strike up a friendly conversation. But no matter how many times it happens, I’m still taken by surprise. I struggle for an answer, saying that I don’t really know because I work on multiple pieces at one time and don’t track minutes spent on any single one.
The truth is though, that I do find that question just a bit odd. I think however well-intentioned, it tends to devalue the work, making it all about the time spent, as though I could have spent the same amount of time doing anything else at all, even clipping coupons, and derived the same amount of satisfaction out of it. No thought of all the time spent over the years honing my skills and perfecting my technique and doing the unfun stuff like entering shows and making portfolios and other marketing stuff.
Edifice Complex is one of my personal favorites. I like the subtlety of the color scheme and the simplicity of the composition. This one took me a very long time because I put a lot of piecing into the top and did a lot of extra stitching for the texture.
I get that question a lot too. It goes along with the statement I have heard many times when people see my quilts hanging on the wall in my home “These are great – you could sell them!” I try to view this statement as what I sure was meant as a compliment. But I do think it speaks to what Americans value – the almighty dollar!
I’ve just recently begun selling my work on a small scale at local art fairs. This venture was started because an acquaintance said after viewing a some of my work – “These are great! Make more so I can buy some!” And she did! So now I’m starting to support my hobby, and I’m beginning to experience the benefits of making multiple small pieces and working in a series, all because of this person.
To get back on your topic of people wanting to know how long something takes – this is what has totally turned me off to quilt shows…there’s such an emphasis on the number of pieces, the stitches per inch, the yards of thread…AAAHHH!
’nuff said!
I love your work Deidre and although I haven’t been asked this question, I don’t honestly think I could answer how long it takes me to make anything. I don’t keep track. Love this piece.
‘How long did it take?’ is a common question applied to anything textile related – especially anything that superficially looks simple as people still equate time with complexity ( and ignore the thinking time or years of expertise behind it)
For me the enjoyment of stitching and painting is nearly all in the process and problem solving so I never count the time. However when pushed I give 7 years as the upper limit, this being the time I spent completing my one and only double bed sized quilt.That usually shuts them up!
I think people ask that question first of themselves when confronted with anything complex work of the hand about which they have no clue .
The general population has a pretty short attention span thanks to popular media and the notion of spending hours, weeks or months creating anything by hand is a frame of reference that challenges them and perhaps makes them feel somehow deficient giving rise to their “time spent” counter challenge to the artist which is little more than a thinly disguised “I have better/more important things to do with my time”.
I get asked this a t by friends and people at my work, and i too struggle for an answer for all the similar reasons you have said bt also from the fact that i can’t measure a piece in time but in that feeling that it is finished. Te satisfaction that it has pushed all my buttons, not oh I have worked on this for 4 hours it must be done! Great discussion topic!
On another note can I ask about your technique, without being too rude or overly nosy. I can see that you stitch before you paint, but what medium do you then use to paint in?? I love your surfaces, they just screamout to be touched.
I think people ask that because they value something you put lots of hours and effort into. In fact I believe one of the questions Quilt National quilters are asked is how many hours a week you work on your quilts.
My strategy is to fib and double the hours it actually took. Not that I ever keep track, it took . . . whatever it took! Mary Ann
I get this question and I generally know the answer. I do keep track because it helps me stay on track and it also helps me understand what I can promise and deliver. If someone asked you if you could make a piece for them and they needed it in a week – how do you know if you could deliver if you don’t know how long it takes you to make your artwork?
I’m not insulted with this question in any way. I love it when people show an interest in my art. I don’t think people are implying that all time spent is equal – I think they are genuinely interested in knowing how long it took because they are curious.
I think I more often get the “where do you get your ideas” question. I don’t think I necessarily agree our culture is fixated with time to the exclusion of other things. We might be more aware of it than other cultures but does that make it bad?
I love knowing how long it took people to do things. Like building the golden gate bridge – it’s fascinating. Human drive and focus is an amazing thing. Artists display a talent that many people are fascinated by – I think it’s great when people love to know more about our process.
I am asked this question each and every time my work is on display (and I am nearby). I was perfectly honest the first few times (the work had gone amazingly fast) and the viewer lost interest because I hadn’t dedicated my life to the piece. So now I lie. Months. Years. Because it’s true in some way. It has taken years for me to be able to work for three days and know that the piece cannot be improved. It’s finished.
I don’t get asked this question very often, and if i do it’s phrased, something like , ‘Wow! that must have taken you ages to complete!!’, maybe it’s a difference in our culture in the UK, or just that we’re quite happy to smile and say nothing at all!! I don’t know if that’s worse. The polite rebuff !
I love the quiet colours and the symmetry of this piece.
I get this question all the time too. I used to struggle with what to say because I was also taken aback. Now I just smile and say “about ten years” because that is how long it has taken me to get from where I started to where I am now.
I always feel I must “exaggerate” how long it takes to make a piece. I do not keep track of how long it takes me to pace, shuffle fabrics, take a walk for inspiration, etc. If a piece takes 10 hours of painting, 5 hours of cutting, 30 hours of sewing, then I know it probably took 10 times that amount of time of inspiration gathering, technique perfecting, etc. before I even began the piece.
I do think Americans will ask any question, rude or not. I’m sure if more thought was put into the question, it could be asked in a way that would not offend the artist. However, putting thought into a question is not the American way. I have a daughter adopted from China. I have actually been asked how much she cost. I am always caught off-guard. I should reply: 1 million dollars and a kidney.
Always overestimate.
This question came up in court, in England in 1878, after Ruskin said that Whistler was throwing buckets of paint at the canvas and Whistler sued him for libel. Asked how long a painting had taken, Whistler replied that it took only a couple of days; then the defense asked if two days of work was worth the 200-guinea price of the piece. Whistler replied, “No. I ask it for the knowledge I have gained in the work of a lifetime.”
once in one of the weaving lists a person when confronted with “the” question she always answered with the total years she had spent studying and honing the skills to get to the work in question.
i also think that people don’t know how to respond to fiber art or what to say about it and they cop out with an easy question.
neki desu
Thanks for all the insights, everyone. It does seem that a lot of us have heard the question more than once. After thinking about all these responses, I’ve come to the conclusion that people probably ask the question for two reasons: genuine interest but not knowing what to say and just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind.
Even though I don’t track my time on a single piece, though, I do know that if someone asked me if I could make a piece in a week, the answer would be a resounding “no!”
When I’m working in the studio, I’m in a zone – sort of an altered state of mind. I work on as many as 5-6 pieces in different states all at one time – Stitching when I feel like it, then moving to painting when I’m tired of that, etc. It keeps me fresh to move from one thing to another. If I had to stop every few minutes to write down times, that would be a real mood dampener and become a burden in a big hurry.
Hi Deidre,
The piece is awesome — very emotive and rich. As both a painter and textile artist, I’m fascinated by your process, too.
The “how long did it take” is just a misdirected question. And it does reflect the culture — a lack of understanding about the value of process, and of why someone would choose to spend time in that way. Back when sewing and knitting weren’t cool, I often got “oh, I’d love to do that but I’m far too busy . . .” as in “far too important, and you’re obviously not.”
That’s why I’m spending time and thought trying to articulate a concept of Slow Cloth and Authentic Cloth. I hope I can help people understand the great value of textile traditions and skills, especially when used in modern, expressive art. Art and craft, done with intelligence and awareness, enrich our lives and our world beyond measure.
I guess almost everybody who makes art gets this question at one time or another. Actually, I think this is a benign form of it, there is also “how did you find the time to do this, having a husband, little children, a household to run” (meaning you stole those time from you husband and children and ypou house must be a mess).
Your work is very beautifull, I think it has an etheral (did I spell this right??) quality. Please keep blogging.
I love your work. The detail and precision are fab! I make both art type pieces and bed quilts. I have been asked “how long did it take?” many times. I have mostly found that people are amazed that anyone has the drive to spend a considerable amount of time to make a quilt or fiber piece. I find that many people don’t have any idea about the time it takes and they are just interested in knowing how long it takes. I try to keep a loose track of how long some projects take so that if I get a commission, I can quote a ballpark price rather than say I don’t know how much this would cost you. I look forward to reading your blog and keep up the wonderful work!
I actually had a solo exhibition in a center of contemporary art, they are showing almost painters, 90 percent (!) of the visitors asked me the same question: how long? I’m living in Germany, people here are asking the same. Most of them could’nt imagine, that I spend such a lot of time with doing this kind of art. I decided to create some of my next work with this theme.