Textile Details

'Vareando las aceitunas / Knocking down the olives', by Isabel Alcalá Olivera. (Photo: Roser Corbera)

This arpillera was created in a workshop facilitated by Alba Pérez and María Viñolo in early 2009 at a community centre in Badalona, Spain, during a 12-sessions course leading up to International Women's Day 2009. Isabel, who was in her early 70s at the time of making this piece, reflects on a memory from her childhood home, a home she left in order to seek work elsewhere.

This image captures in arpillera form the whole story behind the production of olive oil; an essential commodity of everyday life for rural Mediterranean communities. The simplicity of the images and the childlike figures is juxtaposed to the hardship of the physical labour involved. The artist has recalled that the memories of this are hard for her as she had to do this difficult work in the field while her friends could go into town. By telling her story we certainly appreciate the work involved in harvesting olives and making them into oil or preparing for us to enjoy.

Textile Detail Image(s)