PE task 2

Chris Kenny is not an embroidery artist, his work is more like three dimensional drawings, he takes the line off the page and brings it into the audience’s space. This illustrated to me how I did not need to be confined by my two dimensional surface or by what I thought an embroidery should look like. I experimented with this idea first by pinning shapes and thread to the wall, using the pins to create different layers and a sense of depth. I then translated this into my embroideries by couching waxed yarn that held its shape and did not lie flat on the fabric. Alain de Botton said that ‘Kenny is a master at delicately excising something from its normal setting and settling it into a diminutive white museum where, hovering an inch or so above the base, it becomes free to release a hidden narrative or symbolic message’. This showed me the importance of setting and how a simple line on a white background can create a strong impact. By framing his lines in a white frame he endows them with a sense of importance – these lines are not purely decorative they take on an almost symbolic significance when placed within this gallery setting. This showed me a potential setting I could take my embroideries, and I think that if I enlarged some of my work particularly the embroideries that focus on simple quality of line, they could be well placed in this context.

Emilio Pucci is a fashion design house, known for their prints and embroideries. Pucci’s embroideries are a lot more luxurious and embellished than what I have been doing in this project however I really took inspiration from their sensitivity to material and thread. Seen here the combination of bold opaque stitch on a translucent fabric creates an interesting contrast and unusual aesthetic. I subsequently experimented with similar fabric and thread combinations. Pucci’s fashion designs showed me how embroideries can be the main feature  of a piece of clothing and elevate fashion to higher levels. In my embroideries I have taken inspiration from their elaborate designs and sensitivity to materials and I think this would be a really interesting context for my embroideries. It would be interesting to have to consider the other aspects of creating an embroidery for a garment such as durability, fashion trends and structure of the garment.

Christine Maueersberger’s embroideries aim to convey the passing of moments using sewing as the medium. Each stitch serves to be an artefact and a record of the passing of time. Though her embroideries look like abstract shapes, they are really maps of time understood only to her. I experimented with this idea myself in my drawings from Manchester city gallery where I created a visual code understood only to me relating to the time I spent on a drawing. Maueersberger exhibits her work in galleries. On first reflection her embroideries appear to be an exercise in composition, line and shape however her embroideries are rooted in meaning and symbolism. I had not previously considered embroidery as works of art like you would might in a gallery, however researching her work has shown me how embroidery can be just as an effective as painting or drawing when conveying an idea or theme.

Sewing Machine Samples

I like how I have created texture using the zipper foot and hairpin, it has allowed me to use thicker yarns which would not go through the machine. They have created a chunky aesthetic which reminds me of my knit samples. I think I could take this further by combining it with thinner more delicate threads to create an interesting contrast. I then experimented using thread that I had unpicked from some cornely swatches, which created a really interesting zig zag line quality. I also created my own yarn by cutting thin strips of bin liner and leather and put them together in the same sample on a silk fabric, which created an interesting contrast in materials.

Paper Maquettes

Here I made paper maquettes to experiment with forms and shapes relating to my project.  I then photographed these maquettes from many angles using a light to create interesting shadows. This was a quick and easy way to generate ideas for drawing and subsequently my embroideries. It also made me consider whether it might be interesting to make my embroideries more three dimensional and sculptural, perhaps using wire to mould them. 

Sketchbook Development

I have found combining pen and ink drawing with collage techniques to be an effective way to experiment and push my ideas further in preparation for my embroideries, as it allows me to mix textures and and line qualities. I particularly like the combination of graphic linear shapes with cut out shapes. I want to translate this depth and texture contrast into my work in order to do this I think I need to expand my range of materials and threads. I also think the best way to interpret my drawings is by combining both machine and hand embroidery techniques. I have found that when I create embroideries without drawing references they are much less successful than when I have already considered the composition, and qualities I want to achieve.

 

Drawing day

First we had to complete a small 5cm by 5cm sample using paper, I referenced the shapes I had been experimenting with in my sketchbook, cutting them up and sewing them back together differently. I then took this to a larger scale and introduced new materials, and taking off the page, instead pinning the cut out shapes to the wall and wrapping raggia around the pins. This created lots of dimension and depth, and allowed me not to be constricted by the confines of a 2d page.. I was able to capture this sense of depth by photographing it from different angles. I found this method of pinning materials and thread to be a particularly effective when experimenting with ideas and will utilise it before actually stitching embroideries.

 

 

 

 

 

Layering different samples

Here I photographed different samples together in order to generate new ideas. This allowed me to experiment with ideas on composition, texture, layers and fabric choices. I like the black organza layered over other samples so I think I'm going to experiment further layering fabrics in this way. It has also made me consider that I should not constrict myself within a square format.

Artist References

Yunko Ori

I like the freehand style of Yunko's embroideries and the way they look like abstract doodles. I think I could achieve a similar freehand aesthetic on the cornely machine. I also like the large abstract shapes of fabric, appliqued on underneath the stitching.

Christine Maueersberg

 

I the sense of naivety and simplicity of Maueersberg's embroideries. The shapes and lines remind me of natural forms; rocks and cells. I also think the short staccato detached lines are very effective, which is a technique I think would be most interesting when combined with more solid lines. The combination of line qualites creates a more interesting contrast.

Chris Kenny

 

ChrisKenny's woke is solely bout line, no colur, just black and white, which gives a simple yet bold aesthetic. The rhythmic spontaneous quality of line is very powerful, which is something I want to experiment with in my embroideries.

 

Cy Twombly

 

I like his bold eergetic use of colour and line, which has an almost violen application, yet in contrast he imbues his paintings with a childlike naivety, which creates and interesting tension.

 





Hand embroidery

I haven't had much experience on the cornely machine and therefore I don't have as much control yet as I would like, however this does not matter hugely since I am trying to achieve a free hand illustrative style. I have then combined this with more controlled hand stitching, which allows me to add different textures, line thicknesses, and shades. I think to take this further I need to expand the types of fabric that I use and try to pick slightly subtler combinations of fabric and thread.

Drawing Development

I drew a collection of shells and stones using a range of different media and techniques; such as pen and ink, oil bar, charcoal and pencil. The most effective techniques were using oil bar to imprint onto another piece of paper. I first did more representational figurative drawing of the objects using pen and ink and then I tried a technique I had found effective in one of the drawing days; diffping the objects themselves in ink and printing with them. I really liked the mark making, qualities of line and patterns this created. I then photocopied these drawing, but manipulated them by enlarging and moving the drawings while photocopying. This distorted my drawings and created new patterns, marks and rhythms. I pushed this further by tracing these drawings and then overlaying them over other phtocopies. I will now think about how I can translate these marks and qualities of line using different embroidery technques.

 

 

Gallery Visit

I took photos of a wide range of art in Manchester city gallery; jewellery, ceramics, furniture, sculpture, found objects and fashion.I did not want to limit myself to any one thing, I sketched and recorded how long i spent on each drawing, room and recorded my route around the gallery. In one room there was a collection of objects collected by a couple over many decades. This was very useful for me to look at the way items were put together. The variety of objects allowed me to take inspiration from many different sources.
I have interpreted my photos and sketches in these drawings, while also considering how to translate things such as the way my eyes moved around a painting or the time i spent looking at something. I like how its not obvious how I have translated this except to me, like a code.

The bold line on this continuous line drawing of a woman is to map the route my eyes travelled across the painting.