From the beginning, when I first started to plan for this project, I knew that I wanted to incorporate textiles, fabrics, or some other similar material when making my object. I have found, through my experience sewing (by hand and machine) and weaving with yarn that I like working with tactile materials. Initially, my plan was to create a reference object using fabrics, focusing on different textures, weaves, weights, colors, and patterns. However, in the end, I decided to use yarn for this first part of the assignment. I used red and pink yarn, weaving it in some areas, twisting it in others, and adding chunks of yarn for balance. I chose to do this against a sheet of paper. This way, after I was finished, I was able to bend the paper, prop it up under a light, and draw the shadows that the loose pieces of yarn created. While drawing, I intentionally used my pink marker that was running out of ink. The rough lines that this created, combined with an additional shade of pink for visual interest, created an intriguing conversation with the smoother lines of the red yarn.
One of my initial inspirations was Ann Hamilton’s Warp and Weft II, a print that we have in Chapman’s own Escalette Collection of Art. In this piece, Hamilton creates soft peaks of blue cloth, which are caused by pushed, pulled, and otherwise altered threads. When you look closely, you can see the individual drawn threads, and the soft texture created by these tiny strings becomes more obvious. It is incredible to realize that this piece is not a macro photograph but rather a hand-drawn design.
I was also inspired by the work of Terri Friedman, an artist who creates large wall hangings made of yarn. I first saw these woven works early last summer at Acme Gallery in Los Angeles, and it has stuck with me since. I think there is something so confrontational and so alluring about hanging textiles, and I think that, because of their material and their hanging on walls, her pieces have a connection with traditional wall tapestries. She plays with words, phrases, strategically placed cuts, and loose strings, and mixes darker color palettes with pops of neon. She also has been working with images and identities of artists who are also mothers, which I find so interesting.
Overall, I thought that this project was interesting in that it challenged us to create something to draw, which involves more active decisions in comparison to the traditional, more passive act of choosing a subject that already exists. My favorite part was definitely working with the yarn, and troubleshooting how I could fix it to the paper and prop it so that I could really bring out the shadows on the page.
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| Ann Hamilton |
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| Ann Hamilton |
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| Terri Friedman |
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Terri Friedman
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| Terri Friedman |
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| Terri Friedman |
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| Olek |
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| Olek |
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| Jo Hamilton |
Inspirations:
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