Artist Information for Maggie Dillon
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Influenced by the nostalgia of old film, I capture candid moments from the 1930’s to the 1950’s in my textile work. Particularly choosing images that appear photo-journalistic, my work celebrates an unawareness of the camera that is simultaneously ordinary and meaningful. It evokes a wistfulness, a feeling of nostalgic happiness, but also loss of something deeply important and soulful. There’s no showing off, just pure moments… in the moment. Maggie Dillon is a textile portrait collage artist from Sarasota, Florida. Very active on social media, you can find Maggie on Instagram and Facebook at @maggiedillondesigns. Book her for a workshop or trunk show through her website at www.MaggieDillonDesigns.com. Images scroll down to view all Missed Trains52" x 42" On a family trip to England, we took a day train trip to Dover. After walking around to the beautiful sights, we made our way back to the train station only to find the train pulling away. We spotted a pub down the street and decided to kill the hour there. My family sat down and I looked over to the corner of the room to see an adorable old man sitting by himself with a Guinness. I was so taken with this scene. I had to immortalize him in a piece, so twelve years later, he is fondly known to us as Allistair in “Missed Trains.”  Illumination of Grace56" x 40" The night turns into the dawn of a new day. Basking in the gentile first light of day, deep reflection inspires the illumination of the mind. My work reawakens a calm moment that is meaningful and ordinary at the same time. I choose images that have a photojournalistic quality and celebrate natural, uninterrupted situations. The viewer can add their own story to the images as if the subjects are characters in a book.  Lincolnville: Revisited50" x 40" One early morning, on my way to Jacksonville Quilt Fest, I drove through Lincolnville, a historic neighborhood in Saint Augustine, Florida. Through the still morning fog, I noticed an older man sitting outside his home reading his bible, a routine that seemed very familiar to him. As I drove by, I was so struck by the scene that I could not get it out of my mind. Later, I used photoshop to combine about 12 photographs and recreate the man’s image. Being that Saint Augustine was the place I began creating my artworks, this piece is incredibly special to me.  N'awlins Heritage68" x 62" My work explores the relationship between time-honored, classic sensibilities and present day culture. To many people, a quilt is a normal, everyday object. The quilt was originally a strictly utilitarian article, born of the necessity of providing warm covers for beds. Many of my quilts feature everyday activities. But, by choosing to create these images, I am celebrating natural daily life while maintaining a sense of tradition. What starts out as the mundane or everyday soon becomes a cherished item, leaving a sense of memorialization and the prospect of their reality. As photographs become distorted through layers of fabric, the viewer is left with an insight into the seams of our past.  Poppy Picnic42" x 59" My work reawakens a calm moment that is meaningful and ordinary at the same time. I choose images that have a photojournalistic quality and celebrate natural, uninterrupted situations. The viewer can add their own story to the images as if the subjects are characters in a book. I primarily work in the decades ranging from 1930's to 1950's based on candid moments – a girl's day at the lake, a picnic in a poppy field, reading a bible in the wee hours of the morning. There is something humbler about those decades. People are less aware of the camera. Vintage images seem purer, even elegant in their simplicity. |