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      Vibrant Botanic Embroideries Embellish the Dried Leaf Sculptures of Hillary Waters Fayle

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      Art
      Craft

      #embroidery
      #found objects
      #leaves
      #sculpture
      #seeds
      #thread

      December 29, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images via the artist and Momentum Gallery
      Merging traditional craft techniques and the natural world’s abundant materials, Hillary Waters Fayle (previously) meticulously stitches brightly hued florals into found camellia leaves and other foliage. From simple lines and ribbing to fully rendered botanics, the thread-based embellishments interrupt the fragile matter. The resulting sculptures evidence nature’s durability while juxtaposing the organic material with the fabricated additions.
      In the interview below, Waters Fayle describes how she gathers leaves and seed pods from areas around her home in Richmond, Virginia, and notes that her practice is rooted in sustainability. By using materials that are already available, like thread from her grandmother, the artist strives for zero-waste in her practice. Overall, her intention is to “bind nature and human touch,” magnifying how the two interact.
      Head to Waters Fayle’s site or Instagram to view a larger collection of her embroidered works. You also might enjoy Susanna Bauer’s crocheted leaves.

      “Inherent,” hand-stitched camellia leaves, 5 x 5 inches
      “Implications,” hand-stitched camellia leaves, 4-3/4 x 4-3/4 inches
      “Circle Inscribed,” hand-stitched camellia leaves, 5 x 5 inches
      “Reaching Toward The Other,” hand-stitched camellia leaves, 4-1/2 x 2 inches
      “Flora Series 7,” hand-embroidered foliage, 6 x 6 inches
      

      #embroidery
      #found objects
      #leaves
      #sculpture
      #seeds
      #thread

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      Oversized Spiders by Mister Finch Transform Vintage Textiles into Fairytale Sculptures

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      Art
      Craft

      #sculpture
      #spiders
      #textiles

      October 22, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Mister Finch, shared with permission
      Leeds-based artist Mister Finch (previously) thrifts scraps of brocades and cottons to shape into fantastical creatures that are both whimsical and slightly unnerving. His recent pieces include a series of oversized spiders that the artist photographs suspended from the ceiling or scaling his workshop wall. “The past few years my work has become more sculpture-based with my creatures pretty much all stood up and attached to bases.” Finch writes. “I love the way this looks and enables me to dress and humanize them, which is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
      Although the ongoing pandemic has stifled the artist’s foraging of fabrics and other materials in recent months, Finch notes that he’s been pulling textiles from his home stash and occasionally visiting fairs and markets. He’s also been scaling down his sculptures so that they’re easier to handle without assistance.
      Finch published two books filled with his fairytale-style sculptures and settings in recent years—and currently is working on a third—which you can purchase in his shop along with cards and totes. Dive further into his eccentric projects on Instagram.

      #sculpture
      #spiders
      #textiles

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      Bright Floral Knitting Wraps an Iconic Stratocaster Guitar in a Psychedelic Layer of Color

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      Art
      Craft
      Music

      #flowers
      #guitars
      #knitting

      October 20, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “Flower Power” (2020), knitted wool and Fender Stratocaster, 106.7 x 12.7 x 38.1 centimeters. All images courtesy of The Big Art Auction, shared with permission
      A new piece by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos (previously) envelops one of Fender’s Stratocaster guitars in a vibrant sheath of wool. Titled “Flower Power,” loosely knit petals cover the entirety of the instrument, wrapping the body, neck, and head in a kaleidoscopic bouquet. The fibrous webbing evokes the aesthetic of the 1960s when Fender’s model secured its legendary status.
      Along with a diverse series of artist-customized Strats, “Flower Power” will be auctioned on Nov. 4 through The Big Art Auction, a collaborative event hosted by The Big Issue Group and Creative Giants. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to The Big Issue, a United Kingdom-based organization that creates economic opportunities for folks who are marginalized and in need. To follow Vasconcelos’s knitted interventions, head to Instagram.

      “Flower Power” (2020), knitted wool and Fender Stratocaster, 106.7 x 12.7 x 38.1 centimeters
      “Flower Power” (2020), knitted wool and Fender Stratocaster, 106.7 x 12.7 x 38.1 centimeters

      #flowers
      #guitars
      #knitting

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      Miniature Mixed Media Lace Works Depict Pastoral Scenes in New Work by Ágnes Herczeg

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      Art
      Craft

      #found objects
      #lace
      #mixed media

      October 2, 2020
      Christopher Jobson

      All photos © Ágnes Herczeg, shared with permission
      Working within a scale of just a few small inches, Hungarian artist Ágnes Herczeg (previously) threads together fragments of wood, seeds, and wire with delicate lace work to form pastoral scenes inspired in part by her surroundings in a small town near the river Danube. This year Herczeg utilized more tree bark and golf leaf, and developed her abilities with silk thread to create pieces even smaller than before. In a note to Colossal she shares this challenge to work increasingly smaller is “a very good mind game.” You can see lots of her new work on her website, and several pieces are for sale in her online shop.

      #found objects
      #lace
      #mixed media

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      Colorful, Geometric Stitches Embolden Black-and-White Photographs of Historical Figures and Cultural Icons

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      Art
      Craft
      Photography

      #celebrities
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #portraits

      September 24, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Yayoi Kusama. All images © Victoria Villasana, shared with permission
      When Victoria Villasana (previously) lays a long stitch on a vintage photograph, she’s connecting the pattern or geometric shape to a piece of history, culture, or philosophy. The Mexican artist transforms found black-and-white images of cultural icons and historical figures through vibrant embroideries. Turquoise fibers radiate from Nelson Mandela’s fist, a gold, chevron collar lines Chadwick Boseman’s shirt, and Yayoi Kusma sports a multicolor garment with varying dots and stripes. Emboldened by stitches that often breach the photograph’s edges, the multi-media artworks exude power, strength, and beauty.
      Villasana sources many of the images from the public domain, although she sometimes collaborates with photographers, as well. “I think color helps us to connect emotionally and I like to look at the past and merge tradition and vanguard. I’m also interested in symbolism and geometry in art as a way to communicate deeper meanings with each other,” she shares with Colossal.
      To explore more of Villasana’s geometric additions, head to Instagram, and see the originals and prints available in her shop.

      Chadwick Boseman
      Federica Violi
      Kara Walker
      Nelson Mandela
      Left: Miles Davis. Right: Harriet Tubman
      Ryu Gwansun
      Yayoi Kusama

      #celebrities
      #embroidery
      #found photographs
      #portraits

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      A Plant Overruns an Incredibly Intricate Cardboard Universe for Robots by Greg Olijnyk

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      Art
      Craft

      #cardboard
      #light
      #plants
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

      September 18, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      All images © Greg Olijnyk, by Griffin Simm, shared with permission
      Until now, Greg Olijnyk’s cardboard robots have been poised for adventure, whether perched on a speed bike or sailing an undulating sea. His meticulously crafted universe, though, has taken an eerie and slightly dystopic turn. The Melbourne-based artist presents fully articulate robots lying on an operating table and attempting to wrangle an aloe plant bound to a cage. Complete with LED lights and glass where necessary, the latest iteration even features an illustrated danger sign, warning that the plant will soon breach its enclosure.
      To follow the latest sculptures in Olijnyk’s science-fiction inspired reality, head to Instagram, where he shares process shots and videos of the robots in action.

      #cardboard
      #light
      #plants
      #robots
      #science fiction
      #sculpture

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    • 163 Shares199 Views

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      Textile Artists File Their Nails in Tiny Grooves for Traditional Japanese Weaving Technique

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      Art
      Craft
      History

      #Japan
      #nails
      #textiles
      #video
      #weaving

      August 25, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      Image courtesy of Kiyohara Seiji
      Along with a comb and shuttle, textile artists crafting “tsumekaki hon tsuzure ori,” the intricate and durable brocades that are part of Japanese traditions, employ the jagged tips of their fingernails. Common in the Shiga prefecture, the ancient technique utilizes the weaver’s grooved nails to guide the threads down the loom, ensuring they’re placed tightly together. The “tsuzure ori,” or tapestry weave, has roots in the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573), while this specific method has been in Japan for at least 1,000 years, according to Kiyohara Seiji, a representative of Kiyohara Textile Co., Ltd.
      To see how the comb-shaped nails work and the ornate textiles they’re used to produce, watch the video below. (via Laughing Squid)

      

      #Japan
      #nails
      #textiles
      #video
      #weaving

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      Myriad Layers of Intricately Cut Paper Construct Architectural Sculptures by Artist Michael Velliquette

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      Art
      Craft

      #architecture
      #paper
      #sculpture

      July 30, 2020
      Grace Ebert

      “My looking ripens things and they come toward me, to meet and be met” (2020), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches. All images © Michael Velliquette by Jim Escalante, shared with permission
      Despite being built with a pliable, degradable material, Michael Velliquette’s paper sculptures exude strength and durability. Densley layered walls fortify the borders of his architectural works, and three-dimensional elements evoke mechanical gadgets like gears and other hardware. The incredibly intricate structures also have more delicate features, like the tiny dots and curved flourishes decorating the small pieces.
      Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the artist hand-cuts each shape with straight-edge scissors or an Exacto knife, utilizing templates, mechanical punches, rulers, and compasses. Requiring between 300 and 500 hours to complete, each monochromatic sculpture begins at the center, and Velliquette expands outward. He shares with Colossal that he “aspire(s) for balance and symmetry in the overall design, but they are not perfectly symmetrical.” Acid-free PVA glue and hot adhesives hold the layers together.
      Velliquette first started utilizing the accessible material as a way to model larger installations before it quickly became central to his practice. “Paper comes in endless forms. It can be used in multiple dimensions. It is easy to handle and manipulate, and it is available anywhere. It is inherently ephemeral, but given the right conditions, it can last for centuries,” he says.
      The work I am now creating is non-pictorial, non-objective, and non-representational in nature. The perspective of these pieces is left intentionally ambiguous: they can be read hung on the wall like bas-relief sculptures or mounted horizontally like architectural studies. There are new issues around engineering and construction that I have had to tackle as my work has evolved in this direction. The broad aim of this investigation is to use three-dimensional structure and intricate detailing to push the boundaries of paper art literally into a new dimension.
      The artist’s work will be on view at David Shelton Gallery in Houston this fall, and he is a 2021 resident at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Until then, follow Velliquette on Instagram for glimpses into his process and studio and to follow his upcoming projects. (via Dovetail)

      “The love that would soak down into the center of being” (2020), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 8 inches
      “Let your hand rest on the rim of heaven” (2019), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      Left: “Our newly awakened powers cry out for unlimited fulfillment” (2020), paper sculpture, 30 x 8 x 8 inches. Right: “All seeming things shine with the light of pure knowledge” (2019), paper sculpture, 18 x 8 x 8 inches
      “Let your hand rest on the rim of heaven” (2019), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      Left: “Then the knowing comes: I can open to another life that’s wide and timeless” (2017), paper sculpture25 x 25 x 5 inches. Right: “Then in one vast thousandfold thought I could think you up to where thinking ends” (2017), paper sculpture, 20 x 20 x 6 inches
      “My looking ripens things and they come toward me, to meet and be met” (2020), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches
      “When awareness encounters eternity it creates time” (2018), paper sculpture, 12 x 12 x 6 inches

      #architecture
      #paper
      #sculpture

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