New exhibition shows how women’s war effort changed the fabric of Canadian society

New exhibition shows how women’s war effort changed the fabric of Canadian society

Stitches in Time features 15 quilted fabric artworks by London, Ont. contemporary artist Johnnene Maddison. Her intricate combinations of vintage textiles, photo transfers, memorabilia, beading and embroidery are rooted in a childhood memory of wartime. She recalls sitting on the front porch in the early evening and watching the women, including her own mother, walking home from their factory jobs, clad in overalls, lunch pails in hand. After a long day, they would cook supper for their children and sit on their front porches, sewing and mending clothes, including their uniforms.

“I wanted to capture the intrinsically feminine task of women taking bits of fabric to repair or patch something,” Maddison says, “and use it as a metaphor or allegory for their resourcefulness in holding the country, the economy and their families together while their lives were in pieces during the war.”

The artist interviewed 37 women about their experiences during the war, when they and millions of others across North America worked in factories and on farms, in the aircraft industry and in other non-traditional jobs such as welding, drafting and industrial chemistry. Along with the reminiscences, Maddison collected memorabilia such as photographs, and scoured thrift stores, garage sales, basements and attics in search of bits of 1940s-era fabric.

The resulting artworks do more than pay tribute to these women and their invaluable contributions to the war effort. They also illustrate the far-reaching social upheaval that continued into the post-war years.

“Stitches in Time goes beyond the more obvious aspects of military history to examine how women adapted to new challenges and responsibilities, then often had to readjust to their traditional roles when the Second World War ended,” says J. (Joe) Geurts, Director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum. “Canadian women stepped up when their country needed them. But when the war ended, they were often forced out of these jobs to make way for men returning from service. Maddison’s sensitive portrayals of these women’s personal memories both illustrate the past and tell a universal story of strength, resilience and human spirit that will inspire visitors to the Canadian War Museum.”

Stitches in Time, organized by the Canadian War Museum in collaboration with Johnnene Maddison, will be on display in Ottawa until January 6, 2008. It runs concurrently with War Brides: Portraits of an Era, another contemporary art exhibition focusing on the experiences of women during the Second World War.

Information (media):

Christina Selin
Manager, Communications
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819 776-8607
E-mail: christina.selin@warmuseum.ca.

Pierre Leduc
Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819 776-8608
E-mail: pierre.leduc@warmuseum.ca.

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