To Do Nothing

A textile piece for the exhibition ‘Wallpaper Man’ (2021) with the William Morris Society and Storybox Collective. The quilt depicts a quote from Morris from over 150 years ago, demonstrating how he predicted the unsustainable nature of capitalism and the climate emergency we find ourselves in today. ‘Blanketing’ is a traditional ceremony held by certain indigenous communities, whereby a quilt is placed over an individual as a sign of respect and forgiveness. The term ‘to blanket’ also means to cover up, to stifle, and to affect everyone (as in ‘blanket term’). This bears relevance to our complacency in this climate crisis – we have known about this for so long and yet have not changed and are reluctant to do so. The pattern on the quilt forms ‘X’ shapes and hourglasses in William Morris fabric, referencing protest, Extinction Rebellion, and how so much time has passed and the clock is ticking. In this way, the quilt links the past, present, and future, as the quilt hangs open in the exhibition space; waiting for change to come and someone to forgive.