Lois Blackburn’s Comfort explores a topic every woman is all too familiar with – their breasts.
Overflowing with passion and creativity, this project sparks a conversation around the pressures and joys of the wonderful world of boobs.
Touring around the UK, Comfort is a quilt made up of more than 400 fabric squares, which were carefully curated in 16 different venues by 237 people.
The participants designed a square with their own interpretation of a breast, some exhibiting caricature-like concepts, whilst others intricately woven with pain, shame, and insecurities.
Whilst seeing the piece in full at the Glasgow Women’s Library, every passer-by is notably stopped in their tracks by the quilt, and after roughly a minute of inspection, they collect the brochure that sits alongside it.
With 183 individual stories told in the brochure and displayed on the quilt, its unconventional art form is striking, and you can’t quite help but examine every single one.
A heavily featured and thought-provoking aspect of the design is the different interpretations of breastfeeding. Little hands and feet were sown onto the quilt, with stretch marks and milk detailed with unusual materials and colours.
The project has been touring since June 2023, and had been a work-in-progress since 2022. It will continue to be exhibited at the association of breast surgery conference in May.
Its biggest audience came from when it featured at the festival of quilts in summer last year, drawing in a spectacular 22,000 spectators over a five-day run.
Whilst films tend to have a box-office shelf life of a couple of weekends, and a hit album peaking on the charts for a month or two if it’s lucky, Comfort has been active for almost a whole year – displaying its effortless attraction and timelessness all over the country.
Many women chose to express their suppressed love and liberation in their concepts, with sexualisation also being at the forefront of the quilt.
Blackburn often uses her projects as an opportunity to challenge societal taboos. Her other works include those of similar designs around mental health, grief, menopause, and sustainability.
Her focus on using bright colours and textiles to capture what can often be sensitive subjects results in a captivating juxtaposition for the eyes and the heart of the spectator.
Upon looking at the quilt, it is true that many hands make light work – or in this case – heavy, moving work.
Workshops that were filled with conversation, relatability, and ultimately – comfort, created a community of women who were able to share their stories and lift a lifetime weight off their shoulders.
From schools and local committees to recovery groups, breast cancer and lesser-known condition Poland syndrome were showcased in the quilt, with the participant’s testimonials documented alongside a photograph of them with their design.
The representation of these topics offers a stripped-back technique of storytelling that is rarely seen in traditional media.
Ultimately, the unfiltered self-expression of those involved complemented by Blackburn’s bold vision and artistry, demonstrates that a picture really is worth a thousand words.
Link to the Comfort quilt catalogue: https://loisblackburnartist.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/comfort-catalogue-final.pdf?force_download=true
Review written by Lucy Clark
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