Saturday 26 January 2008

Fabric Cells !

Most of January has past by and the master class work went with it. I felt quite lost with no direction and no inspiration. Although I have been stitching - see my main blog for the January finishes. http://witchypoos.blogspot.com/
I also spent time looking at egg plants as part of a true colour challenge from Cloth Paper Scissors. So far I have made a paper quilt and a fabric version too. I have added a slide show of this work on the right hand side bar.

Friday - had my first tutorial of the year ... The discussion came round to Louise B's work and other elements in the exhibtion. We were talking about the book of another artist work which I have been planning to do on Louise, and we discussed adding windows to the pages of the book.

Afterwards I looked at Louise's work that uses windows. Below is one of her Cells. Louise has made a whole series of cells, where she was aiming to make her own architecture rather than depending on the musuem space. The cell hold different displays of times in her life. As you walk round these you cannot go in,only peek in though the the windows. Although the one I have shown here has a lot of windows some are make up of more solid doors where you only have a letter box to look at the contents at different angles.


This started me thinking and the sketch book finally came out. YEY !!!
Here is the first page were I was thinking about shapes which have struture (like a sculpture) with windows. Ialso thought about how this could be created in fabric. On the right although you may not be able to read the writing I was looking at creating windows with machine lace or hardanger.
Next I used a lngth of water colour paper to create a cell.

Then started to sketch the shape, how the shadows fall inside and create more window shapes.
Finally worked a small sample of stitched windows.





So where next ? Want to follow this cell idea more. Look at creating the walls and then stiffening the fabric so that it holds itself up. At the moment it would only be for in door display until I can sort out how to stop the items going limp outside.


What is inside my cell ?? Looking to go back to my fold work/sketches. I have made a creature before using kantha running stitch and stuffing to create a shape. So if I take silk then create a shape which uses folds and running stitch to create walls. I would need stuffing to hold it up. Again I am back to Louise's 3D work, although not sure how organic mine will be.... you never know ;)


Also want to make a start on the book about Louise. It will be concentina, with a window or two, sketches of her work and notes about her written around the sketches which is how Louise herself keeps notes about her work.

Update~ Sunday 27th Jan~

Been looking at the items to go inside the cell. Started to think about a dressmaking dummy and other items which would be in Louise's version... But I was looking at creating a dummy which is more my kind of style. So here is the body need to speak with hubby to create a wooden stand.


As you may just be able to see I have a wire spider on the shoulder !!


Been thinking about creating door shapes in hardanger/machine lace, then making then solid with the glue ... then hanging them together with hinges !?!?? To go round this body need to be quite tall. But as the fabric would be an evenweave it would be slightly opac and you would see outlines from the shapes !!

3 comments:

Kentish Maid said...

Zoe - Love the direction your work is taking. I particularly like the second sheet of drawings. I remember when you said you couldn't draw - well you certainly can now!

maggie said...

Very fabo, zoe! love the inspiration.

Lesley said...

Zoe, Glad to see you are feeling inspired again. Love the spider! Lesley