Maxine Hess has been creative since a young child. After a few breaks when life happened, she now is a full-time mixed media artist, often creating works that tell stories of growing up and societal issues.
When was the first time you realized you were a creative person?
In kindergarten I painted a picture of an orange house. My teacher said, “There’s no such thing.” I think that was the moment I realized I was different. While other kids were riding bikes and playing outdoor games, I was painting pictures of the trees outside my bedroom window and playing with paper dolls while creating stories about them. I knew when I graduated high school I wanted to continue studying art.
I started out at Boston University Fine and Applied Arts and spent two years taking the basic art courses. I thought I would always be a painter, but life got in the way. I ended up getting married, having two children, moving frequently, taking classes wherever I could, including two painting classes, one at the Cleveland Art Institute and another in Seattle, Washington. I finally completed my BFA at the Atlanta College of Art in 1980 where I studied all forms of printmaking and papermaking. One result of my studies was a handmade paper book with handset type, Women’s Words.
Have your personal experiences influenced your creative abilities?
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
My grandfather was a huge influence on my creativity. He would make puppets from apples and baskets from cherry stems. He made me a pair of shoes out of scrap leather to mimic the Ferragamo shoes I craved but couldn’t afford. Later in life he made a cradle for my daughter’s dolls and a scooter for my son. Now I tell stories about my memories with him.
In 1969, my father was murdered. The police considered it a hate crime. That event greatly influenced me and my art. I believe that led me to become more of an activist artist focusing much of my work on social and political issues.
Why fiber art? How does that medium best express what you want to communicate through your art? How did you find your creative niche?
I learned to sew in grade school, then picked it back up later in life when I was living in Seattle. I made clothes for my family and kept all my scrap fabric. When I was completing my BFA I embedded those scraps in handmade paper to create a “Family Scrapbook.”
Another hiatus! Got divorced, worked in academia, completed a Master’s degree and a Ph.D., went to work at the Internal Revenue Service in career and organizational development and conflict management. When I retired, I went back to making art full time.
I joined a fine arts atelier led by an encaustic artist who became my mentor and encouraged me to look at other women artists, one in particular, Hannelore Baron, who made fabric collages.
I still had fabric remnants and when I mentioned I was beginning to experiment with using textiles to create art I received scraps and remnants from friends. I began searching antique stores and flea markets for old quilts, quilt tops, quilt remnants, and old lace. I fell in love with fiber, the feel of it, it’s three-dimensional quality, how it mimicked painting for me, how it was soft on the surface, but my message was sometimes harsh, difficult, challenging. I loved the contrast, the ambiguity. Used fabric has it’s own story and I like the idea of giving that story new life as it becomes mingled with my story.
Does your work have stories to tell?
I am a visual storyteller. I tell stories about my family, e.g., my grandfather, my dad, about women (I use the corset as a metaphor for women who try to mold themselves physically into a shape dictated by our society) about social and political issues, including sex and human trafficking, hate crimes, gun violence, etc. My intent is to use my art to create opportunities for dialogue about difficult topics.
Do you have a dedicated space for creating? What does it look like?
I have a home studio on the second floor of my house. It was intended to be a bonus room and it’s completely separate from the rest of the house with two steps up and a door. When we built our house we asked the builder to put the two windows together to provide a lot of natural light and to install enough outlets for sewing machines, irons and other electronics I might use.
My studio is big enough for me to have two large tables, one for cutting and ironing and one for working on, and a wonderful desk made by my husband that holds both of my sewing machines. I have two large design walls, an old chest and cabinet, along with a large closet for storage. My fabric is stored in large plastic bins mainly by color. Additionally, I have storage for completed artwork in what was originally a walk-in attic and is now a writing studio for my husband.
Art books live in a bookcase in our loft area and a lot of my art decorates the walls of our home. I have on occasion used our garage when I was doing encaustic work and our patio during COVID to work on a collaboration with another artist.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process for your work?
I have a general idea of a story I want to tell. I sometimes make notes and very loose sketches to help me remember, but I’m not much of a sketch artist or journaler. I often use the internet for research to obtain images of objects or figures I may want to include in the story.
I begin by pulling out fabrics I think will help me tell the story. Depending on the story I may add to my fabric stash by purchasing commercial fabric.
When I created the piece about my Dad I wanted to write to him. I didn’t get a chance to say all the things I wanted to before he died. I’m not a poet so I began reading poems and found one in a book I was reading. I was able to use the structure of that poem to create my own. I printed the poem on Silk Organza which I overlaid on the image of my dad. I wanted the image to be somewhat ghostlike.
I discovered a 1927 yearbook photo of my dad that I was able to transfer to a pattern using a photo software, Mosaic Quilting. The photo pattern is made up of three-quarter inch squares. For this piece I used over 1,000 squares of 15 different fabrics (all raw edge applique) secured with a fusible to create the image. The image was then placed on batting and a backing. The organza became the quilt top. The whole work was quilted with free motion stitching and thread painting. I’ve used that same process on other portrait like work.
Daddy Where are you Daddy? Where are you now? Would you recognize me? Daddy. Me, Maxine, your daughter. The one who didn’t get to say I love you. The one who wasn’t there when you died. The one who returned home believing you’d survive. Daddy. The years have gone by and I still think of you. I wonder if you watch over me. Over your grandchildren and great grandchildren. I have never forgotten you. Or the way you died. I have never forgotten your quiet way of being. Your kindness to others. Your gentle manner. I have never forgotten how you stood up for what you believed was right. Daddy. Not one day has gone by without me thinking of you. I remember how you tossed me up in the air. Our trips to the shore. How you had to protect yourself from the sun. How proud you were of me. Would you be proud of me now? I told the story of how you were murdered. I told it in my art work. So no one will forget how innocent people are killed. How they can end up paying for the sins of others. Daddy. In my dreams I talk to you. When I am alone in my studio I talk to you. When I’m driving in my car I talk to you. I believe you are always just a breath away. Daddy. I hope you and Mom are together now. Know that I’ll always remember you. I’ll never forget you.
I used a somewhat different process to create stories about my grandfather. While I use the quilt construct as a foundation for my work I think a more apt description is fabric assemblages. I wanted to tell about how, often on Saturdays, I would spend the day with my grandparents. My grandfather taught me how to make apple puppets. I did a series of three pieces. One piece is below. I had the idea in my head, but as I worked I began to see the story evolving, first the introduction, then sitting at the kitchen table as my grandfather began cutting the apple, and finally showing us close together working on the final puppet.
I began by researching photos on the internet of men and little girls standing and sitting who looked about the ages of my grandfather and me. I made the figures out of paper, painted them, hand embroidered their hair and hand stitched their clothes made from fabric remnants. I recreated the kitchen from my memory with layers of fabric, some of it came from sheer scraps and some from upholstery fabric and lace doilies. I laid out the background first, then placed the figures and the furniture on it. Everything was handstitched using embroidery thread. I played with different fabrics till I was comfortable with my choices and the placement of the figures and furniture.
I am still a painter and a printmaker. I would say I’m more of an improviser than a planner. I use fabric, sometimes incorporating paper, paint and even printing, sometimes using hand embroidery, often with a combination of hand and machine stitching to create work out of textiles, rescued quilts and fabric remnants that have their own stories woven into a story of mine to give them new life.
Do you work actively on more than one project at a time? If we were to visit your studio today, what would we find you working on?
It’s not unusual for me to be working on more than one project at a time so my studio becomes swamped with pieces of fabric strewn around on tables, floor and walls. I used to think of myself as the “great” unfinished artist since I seemed to have difficulty ever finishing anything. It’s taken me a while to realize I had a fear of ending a project because then I’d have to move on to something else or I’d have to make a decision about what I was going to do with that finished project. Now, I’m content to move on, to submit work for shows, to sell some work and to hardly ever lack for inspiration. It’s more likely I lack time.
For example, right now I have an unfinished project on jazz musicians and a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg, one of my Sheroes, because I got interrupted by two other projects, one is for an exhibit call and the other is for a two person collaborative exhibit that will open in September 2024 at the Southeastern Quilt and Textile Museum in Carrollton, Georgia.
I am trying to be more focused since the collaborative exhibit will involve creating an imaginary world in one room consisting of two and three dimensional work, a second room of quilts from a project my partner created and a third room about a woman I met who served as a Research Analyst at the Nuremberg Doctor Trials after WWII. The whole exhibit is educational, but the third room is the education room where we’ll hold some workshops during the duration of the show.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I love creating, thinking about the idea, researching, choosing fabrics, playing with placing them. Sometimes I’m challenged by the stitching, more when I’m machine stitching than hand stitching, especially when the sewing machine “gods” are not cooperating.
The part I find most challenging is the finishing part, the binding if I decide to use it, making and sewing on the sleeve that is usually required for quilt shows, and creating and sewing on the label. At the same time I do want my work to be seen so having work accepted for a show becomes a good incentive to finish things.
Learn more about Maxine and her work on her website: https://www.maxinehess.com/
Interview posted April 2024
Browse through more inspiring mixed media art and stories on Create Whimsy.