{"id":1029,"date":"2025-08-11T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/?p=1029"},"modified":"2025-08-12T16:29:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T16:29:31","slug":"in-crewel-intentions-danielle-clough-delves-into-the-nostalgic-world-of-1970s-magazines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/11\/in-crewel-intentions-danielle-clough-delves-into-the-nostalgic-world-of-1970s-magazines\/","title":{"rendered":"In \u2018Crewel Intentions,\u2019 Danielle Clough Delves into the Nostalgic World of 1970s Magazines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"In<\/p>\n

Several years ago, Danielle Clough<\/a> ran across a vintage copy of Playboy <\/em>at an antique shop. Unbeknownst to her at the time, the 1970s-era film photography, feathered hairstyles, and iconic\u2014if stereotypical\u2014advertising would influence a wide array of large-scale embroidery portraits.<\/p>\n

The Cape Town-based artist (previously<\/a>) scoured the popular magazine\u2019s pages in search of faces and settings she could translate into embroidery. Because of the source, Clough is sensitive to the fact that one might expect the imagery to be hyper-sexualized, but \u201cwhen they are stripped from context, they can be beautiful and illicit wholesome reactions in their newly recalibrated, woolly world,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"a
\u201cDyed in the Wool\u201d (2025), wool, cotton, rayon, and silk on linen, 14.5 x 14.5 x 2.25 inches framed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In her solo exhibition, Crewel Intentions<\/em>, now on view at Paradigm Gallery + Studio<\/a>, Clough\u2019s characteristically vibrant fiber compositions tap into a bygone era that, in terms of time, does not seem too distant, but when measured against the technological and socio-political leaps of the past few decades, it can feel like ancient history. Through the historic technique of crewel embroidery, a form of freehand fiber work in which wool yarn is sewn onto cloth, the artist creates a raised and textured surface that can strike virtually any shape or size.<\/p>\n

Nostalgia can have a comforting effect when the contemporary world feels overwhelming. In the 1970s, the world was still largely analog\u2014correspondence primarily went through the mail; magazines and newspapers were printed en masse; and the internet as we know it didn\u2019t yet exist, but there were hints (the \u201cmodern\u201d internet would emerge in the mid-1980s). <\/p>\n

The artist merges new materials and saturated hues with imagery and styles we often associate with an earlier age, both romanticizing and acknowledging outmoded attitudes, styles, and technologies. \u201cClough\u2019s appreciation of her material and her subject allows her to start a conversation on graceful aging,\u201d the gallery says, \u201ccelebrating outdated processes of making and the aesthetics that stand the test of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 1970s represent a way to explore generational transitions, beauty standards, societal norms, photography, and representation. Through careful cropping and lighting, Clough incorporates a cinematic effect that is most provocative in pieces like \u201cCrewel Intentions\u201d and \u201cThe Extra Mile,\u201d in which her characters make eye contact with the viewer, as if they know what\u2019s in store for the future. <\/p>\n

Crewel Intentions <\/em>continues through August 24 in Philadelphia. Explore more on the artist\u2019s website<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a
Detail of \u201cCrewel Intentions\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"an
Installation view of \u2018Crewel Intentions\u2019 at Paradigm Gallery + Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cThe Extra Mile\u201d (2025), wool, cotton, rayon, and silk on linen, 8.25 x 16.25 x 1.5 inches framed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cThe Yarn We Spin\u201d (2025), wool, cotton, rayon, and silk on linen, 25 inches diameter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
Detail of \u201cWhat\u2019s a Girl to Do?\u201d (2025), wool, cotton, rayon and silk on linen, 32 inches diameter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"three
Installation view of \u2018Crewel Intentions\u2019 at Paradigm Gallery + Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"a
\u201cBoy Lollipop\u201d (2025), wool, cotton, and silk on linen, 17 inches diamater<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article In \u2018Crewel Intentions,\u2019 Danielle Clough Delves into the Nostalgic World of 1970s Magazines<\/a> appeared first on Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Several years ago, Danielle Clough ran across a vintage copy of Playboy at an antique […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1031,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1029"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1041,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029\/revisions\/1041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1031"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.beatlesfansunite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}