This is a piece of work I did last year where I painted two pairs of gloves onto calico in white acrylic and then stitch in very small stitches in different shades of white(yes there are many) and silver metallic embroidery thread.The photograph was taken before it was framed and put under glass so unfortunately photographing the framed work does not have the best results.
The subject matter is continued with gloves ,an item of clothing, textiles and sewing.The piece is very pale and supple on first viewing and requires the viewer to go up closer the really see the work.
I have been a little slow making a start with this blog but it is a case of having to make myself make a start .I already have began this blog but due to my talents with this sort of thing my previous work has somehow not published and maybe I am talking to myself now.Well now onwards and upwards and down to the work in hand.
My work is highly influenced with cloth , textiles, and crafts many this is because it is all about memory, my childhood and my upbringing surrounded by women who sew.My mother was( and still is but retired) and my aunt where tailors(I don’t like the term Tailoress ) , both trained at an Italian tailors manly making suits but occasionally ball gowns and wedding gowns.However I would not call myself a textile artist and would consider my work eclectic ,using many mediums and a person who didn’t know looking at my work would probably think the work was from several different artists but following a similar theme.
I am at this present moment working on acrylic paint on canvass and stitching over the paint. The back of the piece is equally as interesting as the back and I am trying to find a way of displaying the work so that both sides can be seen as I think some of the detail and interest can be lost in traditional framing methods.
I have looked at many artists,some connected to cloth and textiles some not and some like myself use textiles and stitching as just on of the mediums they use.Some artists i have looked at and will discuss them further in this blog are Tracey Emin(I know a lot of people talk about her but as a tutor once told me she cannot be ignored!)Ghada Amer,Michael Radecker,and Shirrin Neshat just to mention a few.
I think there has been a revival in stitch as a craft in recent times by both artists and crafters.Perhaps with the popularity of blogs promoting homecrafts with ‘mummy blogs’ and lifestyle .This could be a good thing but I feel that somewhat promoting the domestic image (Not a criticism of people’s individual choice I would like to add)of apron-wearing ‘stepford wives’ ,shoving cupcakes(actually fairy cakes ) at people then hitting the Prozac and red wine behind closed doors and net curtains .However stitching can have a more edgier image as I have mentioned before artists such as Tracey Emin and Ghada Amer regularly use the medium of stitch in their work.
