So, with nothing to show from yesterday maybe I'll just ramble about thoughts again. It sort of has to do with the movie, sort of has to do with quilting...
The movie we went to see was called "Always Continued, Sunset on 3rd Street" (my English translation) and this is a continuation of a movie of the same name. It is about the years after the war when Japan was drastically changing into a modern world with cars and factories and dreams for the future. Japan in general fell in love with this movie because is was so heart warming and brought back such vivid memories. Yes, memories. Even for me who didn't live in Japan at the time and wasn't even born yet! I loved the first movie so much I kidnapped Tetsu's mother (she didn't want to go but I forced her!) and took her to see it. She absolutely loved it (I knew she would) and hasn't stopped talking about it since. I'll have to see if I can force her to go see this continued version though she's two years older and in even worse health...
Ok, back to my thoughts. I happened to see an interview with the movie's director and he said that one reason the movie is so nostalgic to so many people of all ages is because he used so much brown in his settings. The era was very drab with dirt roads and wooden buildings, somber clothing, dark interiors, the scenery every hue of brown. And the director went out of his way to use brown in as many ways as possible because, according to him, brown is a comforting color that brings up memories. Yesterday I kept that in mind as I watched the movie and truely, brown was the theme. Of course here and there red in the signs or red and yellow in the clothing but yep, basically brown. And yep, an extremely comforting movie. (picture from the movie's website).Now to a completely different subject. I'll be back to brown later so don't get lost.
I was reading the book "Collaborative Quilting" by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran. If you've seen their book or know their quilts you'll know they use a lot of color! I can't see myself making anything quite so bright but they have interesting ideas. Ms. Moran made an interesting comment: "I am fearless in my use of color with the exception of brown, which I consider a non-color. If there are no bad colors, just misunderstood ones, I can say for sure I do not understand brown." (Collaborative Quilting p. 66)
Elsewhere in the book was the quote from Winston Churchill:
"I cannot pretend to be impartial about the colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns." (Collaborative Quilting p. 110)
Don't you think this is interesting? I started quilting after I came to Japan. I've mostly been influenced by Japanese quilting books and Japanese fabric stores. Let me say it plainly. They use a lot of brown!!! Some very famous Japanese quilt designers seem to only use neutral colors with brown or black! And the quilts are beautiful! But definitely not bright and cheerful. Subdued, genteel, rustic. When I go to the States and visit the fabric stores I am struck by the color that abounds everywhere. When I leaf through American magazines I am bombarded by color! And when I buy fabric in the States and make something to show my Japanese friends they smile but I can see they think my colorscheme is a little off. How many times have you heard me refer to my Japanese friends' quilts as elegant, delicate, refined etc. It is because of the colors they use which are nothing at all like the color choices of American quilters! (some of my "brown" creations)
Don't you think this is interesting? I started quilting after I came to Japan. I've mostly been influenced by Japanese quilting books and Japanese fabric stores. Let me say it plainly. They use a lot of brown!!! Some very famous Japanese quilt designers seem to only use neutral colors with brown or black! And the quilts are beautiful! But definitely not bright and cheerful. Subdued, genteel, rustic. When I go to the States and visit the fabric stores I am struck by the color that abounds everywhere. When I leaf through American magazines I am bombarded by color! And when I buy fabric in the States and make something to show my Japanese friends they smile but I can see they think my colorscheme is a little off. How many times have you heard me refer to my Japanese friends' quilts as elegant, delicate, refined etc. It is because of the colors they use which are nothing at all like the color choices of American quilters! (some of my "brown" creations)I don't know where my thinking is leading me. Maybe the brights are part of a noisy, optimistic culture and the browns of a quiet, reflective culture. Both are necessary and good. I have learned to use more colors this year than ever before, but I still love the somber browns. How about you?
16 comments:
Such an interesting post, Tanya. It must be a cultural thing, somehow, but I don't know why :-)
I'm no fan of brown, but when I see those Japanese Taupes, well...they are so yummy I just want to lick them or somethig, do you know what I mean? I think it must have something to do with the subtlety or shading of those brown/taupe colors versus what I think of a "BROWN" like the yuccky 1970s refrigerator that was in my house growing up...still brown, but nothing like the taupes.
I'm always so surprised by what an effect colour has on my mood... Sometimes the darker, more somber colours will calm me down, while the bright "cheerful" colours bring energy and excitement...
I tend to think of brown and neutrals as lacking in personality, while the brights are "in your face" -- my kinda "people" :-)
I have the same pencil case and i only used brown colours. I love these japanese colours because I think they are the traditional colours for japanese patchwork.
A happy New year Barbara
I like brown scattered around in a scrap quilt. I have on my list of things to do - make a brown and pink quilt in reproduction fabrics. I have the fabrics, I just can't find the perfect quilt to make with them yet. I will find it though!
I love the Japanese taupes. To me they have underlying colors like pink, blue, green, yellow... Their subdued charm is fascinating!
Brown is very "in" right now in the US. Teamed with pink or a soft turquoise those are THE color combinations. I have migrated away from a muddy palette in my quilt making, I use brighter, clearer colors now but I do throw in an occasional brown, I'm not afraid of that or feel that I don't understand the hue! I agree that a liberal use of brown does make quilts feel older and more somber; definitely something to keep in mind. This is a most interesting post today, Tanya!
I think that that is why I like taupes so much... (I am still friendly with brights too, but I am exceptionally fond of taupes.)
Some of my favorite quilts have been brown ones.
I'm still thinking about this post, Tanya. It is provocative.
n, np
You surely sang my song this morning. I love brown quilts, all my quilts have brown in them. I too read the book with the quote in it and was confused to say the least. No brown in a quilt....how boring! Great post!
I heart brown,
Vanessa
It's very interesting. My mother used to make kimono. I remember our hinaningyo that was a little different from regular ones. They were kimekomi-doll which was made of some kind of clay wrapped with traditional Japanese fabric. The color was red but the color of brown in it and I loved the color a lot. I still don't like extreme bright color to wear. But I defenitely changed the color selection for my cothes over the years. I think it's a big benefit to be able to appriciate the difference in different cultures
Brown is the color that is left in your rinsewater, after you painted with ALL your paints, when you were a kid.
Brown is often the color of your quilts if you have used ALL your scrappy pieces.
Brown is the color of the earth.
It's my favorite color - especially the "earth" part.
Maybe it was them, but I think it was a different quilter who was saying something similar about colors - about not being afraid - then stating that they avoid a particular color. I found that strange. I think brown is a wonderful color - it is calming, nostalgic, earthy. I didn't like it earlier because I was thinking of the browns and oranges of the 70s, but modern browns aren't that same ugly shade.
I waver back and forth between making brown quilts, and brights, and purple / green with a touch of orange combination - sometimes while choosing fabric for the same quilt.
Reading others comments, I do think that I tend to discriminate against my quilts looking "country" so I do stay away from browns that do that.
I love brown.
Many of my quilts are brightly colored because they are donation quilts for kids but my favorite personal quilts have the colors of autumn in them, including brown.
A green and brown quilt is on my to do list.
Oh yes - I love brown too! Those of us who love primitive quilts love all those somber colors. Our quilting sisters can't figure out why as they use only brights.
For a long time I've looked at the marvelous quilts in magazines that are made by Japanese quilters - who take our traditional patterns and our fabrics and make a quilt that looks so totally different and so totally Japanese. I never thought of it before but after reading your post I know exactly why - it's how they use color - especially brown!
It's interesting you mention this. Part of it, I think, is that brown got a seriously bad reputation in the US in the 1970's. (remember all the brown appliances, and dark, drab kitchens?) Part of it is just the use of it -- when you see browns in the US, they tend to look really drab and very serious -- but the uses in Japanese quilts I've seen are anything but. It's almost as if in the US unless it's really dark brown, it doesn't exist! (which is a shame, because there are so many variations of the color) And, considering that brown is just a version of orange -- which is one of my favorite colors, it's a crying shame :0).
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