War, Emotion and Nostalgia

Alison Hermon 'Melodies Unheard 2'

Available at:

http://www.alisonhermon.co.uk/

I found myself immediately drawn to Alison's work, as it is happy and fun. It creates a sense of happy memory, it makes me think of remenising on a family holiday at the seaside. The Lo-fi feel to her work is particularly interesting as I like to adopt the same principle throughout my own practice. The hand painted quality of the dress works effortlessly. The bright red brings the piece alive. There is an overall idea of positivity surrounding her work, which is interesting as when looking at War as a theme you realise that those living through it need positivity and something to look forward to or they crumble. 

Dail Behennah 'Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, Labels'

Available at:

http://www.dailbehennah.com/photo_10467722.html#photos_id=10467722

The key themes emerging revolve around the notion of memory, messages, tags and mementos. This relates perfectly to my exploration of War as a theme. The illustrative quality is quirky and eye catching and links perfectly with the Lo-fi feel of the installation. The typography works really effectively. I have always been interested in the use of typography within art and textiles which is why I have decided to incorporate this into my final major project. The washy colours look rusted and weathered which works really effectively. This is something I hope comes across within my own work. 

Dawn Mason 'Stitched Texts'

Available at:

http://janethaigh.wordpress.com/category/make-do-and-mend/

The hand embroidered text works beautifully, the sense of the handwriting emerging really adds depth to the piece. The book-like composition makes it feel like a stitched book. The sombre colours create a heightened sense of emotion and personal attachment. The imaged based background works really well, and looks like it has been heat transferred, proving that embroidering over printed backgrounds is a really subtle yet effective way of working. 

Deirdre Nelson 'War Tape'

Available at:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/i/interview-deirdre-nelson-embroiderer/

I can truly relate to this piece as ribbons are an integral part of my project. The unravelling effect is exquisite, this idea of text and memories being unravelled is precisely what my work is about. The simplicity is beautiful, these simple colours highlight precisely what War was about... A simple and tough way of life. This piece looks weathered and aged, being able to create this effect is important within my project as I want my work to be innovative and new, yet also looking as authentic as the period of history it is representing.  

Lorna Miller Gran's Sewing Kit - 'Neweys' 2007

Available at:

http://www.photostore.org.uk/seFULL.aspx?WID=138048&TYPE=TECHNIQUE&CODE=520005001&CAT=MAKER&RECORD=19&MAKERID=112805

Lorna's work is extremely relevant as we share similar themes within our work. The key words that spring to mind are vintage, collage, lace, lost and found. The use of machine embroidered applique works really well, the ribbon is really effective in combination with the subtle tones of colour, which is heightened by the incorporation of scraps of lace and buttons. I have been trying to create a sense of piecing the past back together. 

Natasha Kerr 'At the end of the Day' 2007

Available at:

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/name/kerr-natasha/36184/

Natasha Kerr has always been a key influence of mine, her work is effortlessly beautiful, she has managed to find a way of creating charming compositions that are relatively simple to put together. The collaged and almost patchwork effect works perfectly. I love how the emphasis is on the central photograph and the background works to frame the photograph. Combining embroidery and photographs is integral to my project as I have thoroughly enjoyed using this as a medium. The black and white photograph works really well against the beautiful colours, the accents of the bright orange and lime green works seamlessly. These bright flashes really bring the piece to life. 

Silka Puranen 'Sattuma' 2005

Available at:

http://www.elisanet.fi/silja.puranen/sg0sivu5.htm

My project has become quite image based, which I have really enjoyed experimenting with. I have been finding ways to transfer image onto papers and fabrics in a successful way. What I like about this piece in particular is that Silka has inverted the usual way of transferring image. Usually it is used as a tool to create a background image to then project pattern onto. Here the background is the pattern and the image sits on top of it. This is going against the conventional way of working and is successful, I aim to try and use this technique similarly as I think it is particularly successful. 

Stella Adams-Schofield 'Fragment III'

Available at:

http://www.stellaadams-schofield.co.uk/

Whilst I am not particularly familiar with weave as an area of specialisation, this weave relates really well to my theme. It is lace like and delicate. Bits of yarn are fraying and coming apart looks really beautiful. The composition and layout is very fine art like which I can relate to. The idea of little bits of fabric being framed is quaint and emotive. The hand embroidered typography adds greatly to the piece. It is almost like a specimen or sample someone has collected in a laborotory.

Maurizio Anzeri

Embroidery Magazine (September/October 2011)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild. 

Maurizio Anzeri 'Round Midnight' 2009

Available at:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/maurizio_anzeri.htm?section_name=photography

Maurizio's work has always fascinated me, his work is instantly recognisable. His use of photographs works really well with machine embroidered stitch. The way he uses stitch to disfigure and hide faces is eerie yet equally beautiful. I can relate this to my theme of War as the sheer volume of soldiers fighting in wars is massive. They become numbers on a list rather than being seen as an individual. Here we see a similar ideal. The disfigured and unknown faces become silhouettes.  

Sashiko Textiles

Embroidery Magazine (January/February 2011)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild.

The idea of story telling really comes through here. Pattern is really integral as is traditional hand printing techniques. The simple techniques are used in a way which creates complex pattern, for example the use of running stitch, a simple technique yet truly effective in outcome. I have been adopting a similar tactic by focusing my hand embellishments around running stitch and cross stitch. These techniques fit in really well with my theme and the ideals surrounding a simple way of life. Simple stitching that can create a sense of nostalgia and emotion. 

Anna Ray

Embroidery Magazine (May/June 2010)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild. 

Anna Ray's work is exquisite. She places focus on the materials used and creating an emotional journey. I can relate to this strongly. The marks she creates are interesting,I like her emphasis on marks to create an image rather than trying to replicate harsh lines in an illustrative manner, I have been working in a similar fashion. The build up of colour works effortlessly. Bright flashes of bright red works particularly well. 

Rachel Howard

Embroidery Magazine (September/October 2011)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild.

Rachel's work is very playful and engaging. You can clearly see how important drawing is within her work, as the illustrative nature emerges strongly, I can relate to this as I have found myself particularly inspired by the drawing stage of my development. Her work comes across as childish yet quirky, which is a plus. This creates a great sense of emotion and nostalgia which are key themes within War as this is what gave people hope to carry on. Her cross-disciplinery approach works in her favour, the combination of screen printing, appliqué, and machine embroidery helps to bring out the positive emotions her work evokes.

Lesley Sutton & Paula Keenan 'Stories of Cloth'

Embroidery Magazine (July/August 2008)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild.

There are many themes emerging through the 'Stories of Cloth' project. The name says it all... Story-telling is an important medium within textiles and embroidery. Within my own work, being able to create a sense of journey is always the most important aspect within my work. This is what gives me the greatest sense of satisfaction. Memory is a key theme also, this relates to the idea of nostalgia. Stitch can help bring people together, create a sense of happiness and community. This relates perfectly to the war time ideals. These are precisely the way people coped with World Wars. 

Tamar Stone 'Corset Book'

Available at:

http://www.fiberarts.com/article_archive/gallery/stone_apparel.asp

Tamar creates unique corseted books, there is nothing like her work on the market. The idea of telling a story is integral to her work. The worn nature of the fabric adds an aged feel, which is reflected in the muted creams used. The maroon coloured typography is really effective, and reminds me slightly of dried blood. This machine embroidered text works particularly successfully on certain panels of the corset as it cements text but not in an overpowering way. 

Tamar Stone 'What to Wear Vol. II' 2004/5

Available at:

http://www.fiberarts.com/article_archive/gallery/stone_apparel.asp

Another of Tamar's creation is titled 'What to Wear Vol. II'. What I love about this piece is how photography is the focus, the embroidery works around the photos to bring them to life. The collaged effect works in harmony with the text creating a story, bringing the photos to life. The incorporation of lace pockets works effectively, I aim to create pockets within my own work.  

Felicity Austen

Embroidery Magazine (November/December 2010)

Surrey, The Embroiders' Guild.

There is an overriding sense of Britishness, and Celebration. This positivity is quintessentially patriotic. This encapsulates the sense of community which was so important in War time England. Austen's use of paper as a fabric is important as I have enjoyed using paper as a canvas for creation. She creates 'paper memorabilia' in the form of children's clothing and dresses. This notion of piecing together to create a sense of nostalgia and memory works effortlessly. The bold and bright colours work effectively, this is a medium I aim to create also.