John Lefelhocz
Encyclopedia
John Lefelhocz(born 1967 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
) is an American
conceptual artist primarily known for his works in the textile arts
, specifically quilts. He attended Ohio University
(in Athens, Ohio
). Since college, he has owned and operated Cycle Path Bicycle Shop in Athens while establishing himself as an artist. His art has gained higher recognition since the late 1990s. This can be attributed to inclusion in several Quilt National
s. He has subsequently shown his works throughout the US and abroad.
, Lefelhocz experimented in several media including digital illustrations (tessellations), wood assemblages, and found object sculpture. His experimentation with found object sculpture built a foundation for future works that have more emphasis on the conceptual, creating a greater depth of meaning.
and abstraction
.
Many of the constructions possess the basic structural characteristics of a quilt
. These are made of two distinct layers of predominantly fabric or fabric-like materials that are held together by pierced elements that are distributed throughout the surface of the work. Although Lefelhocz's works are not the classic quilted bed cover, his nonfunctional art quilts retain a symbiotic relationship with classic quilt design.
Lefelhocz's works debuted in Quilt National '99. Lefelhocz says of his early quilts, "I was hand stitching with dental floss through window screening. There's an Appalachian culture here in Southeastern Ohio, where you ...make what you've got work". In Ohio Star Bar, a work to commemorate Ohio's bicentennial (2003), Lefelhocz brilliantly references both traditional quilts and landscape with imagery created in part on the computer. He says, "From a distance it looks like a traditional quilt, and I really enjoy that homage
to my culture...I like including that lineage because it has meaning now, and it is going to have meaning further down the road.
Schticks" (73" x 62";2002).Instead of cloth, though the top is pieced from printed paper bonded to nylon net. The paper shows repeated images of wedding cakes, corsets, and dollar bills tied in the shape of bow ties. The surface of the work has extensive embellishment
, including over three thousand kitchen matches. Lefelhocz points out,"I was aiming to point out the parallels between passion, fire, love, power, and combustibility by using the matches...The wedding cake is the symbol of sweetness and consumption
. The corsets are dual symbols of feminine power and constriction. You have to be attractive for the attention, but you may suffer for it. The money bow ties are a masculine counterpart to the corset. You may have to have money to get the attention, but it might choke you"
These works also place more emphasis on social commentary
through the interrelational imaginative use of found objects. Matthew Mangold writes, "The notion of "fiber" often includes not only materials commonly employed in the development of quilts, tapestries, and other such coverings, but unorthodox substances that heighten the conceptual basis in the work. Sheet metal, window screening, sugar packets, and trinkets of consumer culture are his chosen substance deployed against the detritus of Pop Art. Lefelhocz's compositions are not the ironically banal semiotics of Andy Warhol
or James Rosenquist
. Although not as sly as his predecessors, Lefelhocz's attacks are blatant, devastating and often two pronged. One only need to look at works like Match Schticks, where the institutions of marriage and the quilting tradition light up equally under his brand of RADAR.".
using traditional quilt blocks. However, when, at their second meeting, artist and quilter John Lefelhocz presented his idea for a quilt block based on the design of Star Brick, clay brick manufactured in nearby Nelsonville, Ohio
during the late 1800s, the committee knew they were on to something. As Lefelhocz explained, it snowballed: “Then it was like ‘If we do that, we should do one representative of Athens.’ We went through all the various things Athens County would represent . . . I brought those to the next meeting. And Sally [Dunker, of the travel and tourism office,] was like, ‘Wow, this is great.’” Even the traditional quilt blocks chosen for the Athens County quilt barn trail were carefully selected and adapted to highlight the culture of the county". Lefelhocz designed several original patterns used in conjunction with traditional blocks to represent Athens County, Ohio
.
The Ohio Arts Council
Quilt Barn Impact Study published in 2008 highlights that beyond the purely artistic importance of quilt barns, they have great value for the Appalachian Ohio
region in terms of the economic, social, and cultural strengthening of the region.
Lefelhocz is active in providing support for The Athens County Quilt Barn Bicycle Ride that occurs each July.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conceptual artist primarily known for his works in the textile arts
Textile arts
Textile arts are those arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization, and the methods and materials used to make them have expanded enormously, while...
, specifically quilts. He attended Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
(in Athens, Ohio
Athens, Ohio
Athens is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Athens County, Ohio, United States. It is located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio. A historic college town, Athens is home to Ohio University and is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...
). Since college, he has owned and operated Cycle Path Bicycle Shop in Athens while establishing himself as an artist. His art has gained higher recognition since the late 1990s. This can be attributed to inclusion in several Quilt National
Quilt National
Quilt National is a juried biennial exhibition of quilt art, first held in 1979. The exhibition is held at the Dairy Barn Art Center in Athens, Ohio in odd-numbered years, and is both the largest and one of the most prestigious shows of its kind....
s. He has subsequently shown his works throughout the US and abroad.
Early work
After his education at Ohio UniversityOhio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, Lefelhocz experimented in several media including digital illustrations (tessellations), wood assemblages, and found object sculpture. His experimentation with found object sculpture built a foundation for future works that have more emphasis on the conceptual, creating a greater depth of meaning.
Layered Fabric Constructions - Quilts
In the late 1990s Lefelhocz steered toward a style with greater priority on the broader use of multimedia art. This style includes, but is not limited to, the use of digital paper prints, painting, needle work, and a refined use of found objects, frequently assembled in bas relief. These objects create a narrative through the use of metaphorMetaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
and abstraction
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
.
Many of the constructions possess the basic structural characteristics of a quilt
Quilt
A quilt is a type of bed cover, traditionally composed of three layers of fiber: a woven cloth top, a layer of batting or wadding and a woven back, combined using the technique of quilting. “Quilting” refers to the technique of joining at least two fabric layers by stitches or ties...
. These are made of two distinct layers of predominantly fabric or fabric-like materials that are held together by pierced elements that are distributed throughout the surface of the work. Although Lefelhocz's works are not the classic quilted bed cover, his nonfunctional art quilts retain a symbiotic relationship with classic quilt design.
Lefelhocz's works debuted in Quilt National '99. Lefelhocz says of his early quilts, "I was hand stitching with dental floss through window screening. There's an Appalachian culture here in Southeastern Ohio, where you ...make what you've got work". In Ohio Star Bar, a work to commemorate Ohio's bicentennial (2003), Lefelhocz brilliantly references both traditional quilts and landscape with imagery created in part on the computer. He says, "From a distance it looks like a traditional quilt, and I really enjoy that homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to my culture...I like including that lineage because it has meaning now, and it is going to have meaning further down the road.
Concepts & Social Commentary
The materials chosen for each of Lefelhocz's work in this style further add to the overall concept. Based on a traditional Double Wedding Ring quilt pattern is the piece titled "MatchMatch
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
Schticks" (73" x 62";2002).Instead of cloth, though the top is pieced from printed paper bonded to nylon net. The paper shows repeated images of wedding cakes, corsets, and dollar bills tied in the shape of bow ties. The surface of the work has extensive embellishment
Embellishment
In sewing and crafts an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the piece.-Common examples of embellishment in sewing and crafts:* appliqué* embroidery, done either by machine or by hand...
, including over three thousand kitchen matches. Lefelhocz points out,"I was aiming to point out the parallels between passion, fire, love, power, and combustibility by using the matches...The wedding cake is the symbol of sweetness and consumption
Ingestion
Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an organism. In animals, it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the mouth into the gastrointestinal tract, such as through eating or drinking...
. The corsets are dual symbols of feminine power and constriction. You have to be attractive for the attention, but you may suffer for it. The money bow ties are a masculine counterpart to the corset. You may have to have money to get the attention, but it might choke you"
These works also place more emphasis on social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
through the interrelational imaginative use of found objects. Matthew Mangold writes, "The notion of "fiber" often includes not only materials commonly employed in the development of quilts, tapestries, and other such coverings, but unorthodox substances that heighten the conceptual basis in the work. Sheet metal, window screening, sugar packets, and trinkets of consumer culture are his chosen substance deployed against the detritus of Pop Art. Lefelhocz's compositions are not the ironically banal semiotics of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
or James Rosenquist
James Rosenquist
James Rosenquist is an American artist and one of the protagonists in the pop-art movement.-Background and education:...
. Although not as sly as his predecessors, Lefelhocz's attacks are blatant, devastating and often two pronged. One only need to look at works like Match Schticks, where the institutions of marriage and the quilting tradition light up equally under his brand of RADAR.".
Athens County Quilt Barns
John Lefelhocz has also drawn from his knowledge of Athens County roads through cycling, his work with traditional quilt patterns, and his design skills to contribute to the Quilt Barn Tour: A Patchwork Path Through Athens County. This project took shape in 2005. When the Athens County quilt barn committee first met, they intended to create a quilt barn trailQuilt Trail
A Quilt Trail is a series of painted wood or metal, hung or free standing, quilt squares installed at various locations along a route, emphasizing significant architecture and/or aesthetic landscapes...
using traditional quilt blocks. However, when, at their second meeting, artist and quilter John Lefelhocz presented his idea for a quilt block based on the design of Star Brick, clay brick manufactured in nearby Nelsonville, Ohio
Nelsonville, Ohio
Nelsonville is a city in northwestern Athens County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,230 at the 2000 census. Hocking College is located in Nelsonville.-Geography:...
during the late 1800s, the committee knew they were on to something. As Lefelhocz explained, it snowballed: “Then it was like ‘If we do that, we should do one representative of Athens.’ We went through all the various things Athens County would represent . . . I brought those to the next meeting. And Sally [Dunker, of the travel and tourism office,] was like, ‘Wow, this is great.’” Even the traditional quilt blocks chosen for the Athens County quilt barn trail were carefully selected and adapted to highlight the culture of the county". Lefelhocz designed several original patterns used in conjunction with traditional blocks to represent Athens County, Ohio
Athens County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,223 people, 22,501 households, and 12,713 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 24,901 housing units at an average density of 49 per square mile...
.
The Ohio Arts Council
Ohio Arts Council
The Ohio Arts Council is an agency serving the U.S. state of Ohio.Established in 1965, its mission is to "foster and encourage the development of the arts and assist the preservation of Ohio's cultural heritage." Each year it awards grants to arts organizations and individuals throughout the state...
Quilt Barn Impact Study published in 2008 highlights that beyond the purely artistic importance of quilt barns, they have great value for the Appalachian Ohio
Appalachian Ohio
Appalachian Ohio is a bioregion and political unit in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio characterized by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Regional Commission defines the region as consisting of twenty-nine counties...
region in terms of the economic, social, and cultural strengthening of the region.
Lefelhocz is active in providing support for The Athens County Quilt Barn Bicycle Ride that occurs each July.