BM 3: Subversive stitch
This is a totem of cloth. Of flesh, of hair and gape and wound and mend. Reminiscent of body parts, of a slumbering pile, of flesh that has been bound, of swell, it is both inviting and repellent.
The Baker-Miller pink used throughout the installation is a complicated colour; implying both innocence and violence.
I enjoy exploring subversive stitch more and more since I experimented with it in the portrait exhibition in Nottingham Castle. It feels especially poignant to explore this medium as a woman and it lends itself very well to my interest in trauma and healing as themes.
I have never used hair before in my work. I have never used any literal part of me in my work before. This hair is a part of my story; it's shedding was a symptom of an autoimmune condition caused by stress two years ago. There is a hopeful vulnerability in my keeping it close to me all this time with the belief that one day I would connect with it again. And it is cathartic to see it weaved into my work. Telling that story. Communicating.
Hair emotes. We venerate luscious locks but can be disgusted by hair as a lone object. As a society, are very clear about liking hair where it "should be" and we take great pains to remove it when we feel the "need". There is something visceral and animalistic about it. It almost feels supernatural, as it lasts long after the flesh perishes and still grows after death. There is folklore about it possessing godlike strength. And we often cut our hair as a trauma response. It is a powerful symbol.
My pillow concept has evolved enormously since it's inception. But the end result far exceeds my initial notions, and this is proof of the value of making without rigidity or unhelpful loyalty to an early idea. I have become softer, like a pillow.
I was really happy with the composition of the piece but the position didn't feel right. It was leant against the back wall and felt flat. I played about with its positioning in the space and landed on leaning it against a plinth off center mid space. It works so much better, the new position amplifies the sculptural quality of the piece and makes it feel plumper and more visceral. This curation choice breaks up the installation space and builds a better relationship with the audience; now they can walk around them, relating to them, rather than viewing them against a wall.