Making Something that Lasts (Poland 2/2)

The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Poznan is filled with portraits and monuments of prominent people from ages past. Made in different mediums, each one made me ponder who each person really was. Who decided to memorialize them for posterity? Was it merely a matter of money or did they really help their community so much that their peers wanted to honor them in this way?

I love the economy of line in this portrait. I think this was chiseled in stone, but it almost looks like someone drew lines in wet cement. As an artist, I know the fewer the lines, the more difficult it is to achieve a pleasing composition. Your proportions have to be perfect.

Again, I love the line work. I especially love how the hands are surrounded by echoing lines of draped fabric. I also enjoy the organic lines of the greenery at the top.

This one borders on ostentatious, in my opinion. I’m sure my mother would agree. However, I find the figure interesting. His pose is almost jaunty. I am sure that a historian could tell me the meaning to the pose and all of the items included in the sculpture. Overall it is powerful and imposing, but a close up makes me wonder if this person had a joyful soul.

Again, I love the repeating lines in the sleeves and breard and the more organic lines in the ornamentation on the garment. Reminds me of my quilting lines.

“Red Coral” 2008/2021 detail
© Pamela Loewen

This was huge, nearly 15 feet tall. It is the only monument I saw in the Poznan Cathedral for a couple and the only one that had a woman, other than the Virgin Mary. Who was this woman to be included among so many prominent men?

As I visited this cathedral my father’s passing was fresh in my mind. Thinking of the millions of people who have died throughout the span of time with nothing to mark their time on earth, I realize that one of my motivations in creating art is to make something that will outlast me.

Quiltmaking in the artworld is similar to the lone woman’s monument in the catheral. It is not an art form well represented in traditional galleries and museums. It is a medium dominated by women. With my gallery I hope to change this by showcasing and promoting the important work being made in the medium of quilt making today. To learn more visit loewengallery.com.