Stained tablecloths and serviettes from Lucie's family have become a cherished archive of memories associated with special meals. Lucie sees these stains as markers of time, each one highlighting moments when conversation paused.
work in progress
image: Jon Linkins, Printroom Editions
Many family meals have been shared on this tablecloth that Lucie found in her mother's cupboard. Its stains are vivid proof of lively conversations, and they mark moments when time stood still. Lucie's mother's embroidery threads have been used to illustrate words travelling across the table. The stitches remain mute around the stains.
This laborious work reflects time spent, sitting down in contemplation. The process created a connection with her mother, who was living in a nursing home in the Netherlands, sitting long hours at a table, letting the time pass. On her mother's 90th birthday, the table was adorned with this colourful cloth, and new spills were intentionally created, to bridge the past with the present.
Exactly one week after her special celebration, Lucie's mother passed away. The memories are stored in this cloth, ready to be unfolded and relived at any time.
Photo credit: Jon Linkins, Printroom Editions.
In progress:
The oxidation stains on this cloth are a testament to years of storage. Lucie is stitching her mother's family narrative into it, with both the stains and the generations reflecting the passage of time.