Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Robert John Hodge.Robert John Hodge makes cross-stitch work based on Renaissance sculptures, using a CMYK / screenprint-style layering approach and recurring Wingdings symbols.In this half we jump into Robert’s newer series - smaller, quicker pieces that work like little stitched collages: videogames, screenshots, photos, culture… and, for reasons we absolutely get into, a whole run of nuclear weapons tests.Part 2 is where we widen out into the stuff that feeds the work: horror films from the 70s and 80s, documentaries that stitch history into a continuum, Kate Bush and Wagner, and even T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land as a kind of cultural collage blueprint.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:30 – Cross stitch as a serious art medium00:05:44 – Challenging the “serious art” prejudice00:07:50 – Balancing making work and making money00:09:02 – Art-world reality: logistics + day job00:11:22 – Film influences + nostalgia threads00:18:16 – A wide media diet (and why it matters)00:24:53 – Literary influences: T.S. Eliot and collage thinking00:26:52 – Looping + obsession as the creative engineLinks:Website: robertjohnhodge.comInstagram: robertjohnhodgeIntro music is Cotton Candy by Cospe via Epidemic Sound.About NeedleXChange:NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.Visit the NeedleXChange website: needl.exchangeSign up for the NeedleXChange Newsletter here: bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewsIf you're looking for modern cross stitch designs, then XStitch is the magazine you need!Find out more here: xstitchmag.comAnd follow Mr X Stitch on all the usual social media channels!Facebook: mrxstitchInstagram: mrxstitchPinterest: mrxstitchYouTube: mrxstitchLinkedIn: mrjamiechalmers
