Synthesis

....a complex whole formed by combining. This best describes the process of my latest project, created for Arlington Public Art's Window Project directed by Adria Arch. I decided to use this opportunity to work on a new direction that has been teasing me for some time.

Motif (working title) is fabricated in a manner similar to traditional Irish Crochet where modular designs are crocheted over a cord with fine thread and then assembled. Invented in the mid 1800's as a way of enabling families and communities to survive the potato famine, it was a defining moment in Irish history, signifying their faith in the possibility of transcendent human achievement.

My motifs magnify and morph the traditionally delicate designs into large bendable shapes. Crocheted from recycled women's clothing over a fat upholstery cord and 14 gauge wire they become abstractions of primordial cellular forms. Painted on its exterior to reference the cotton ecru thread of the original craft, one can glimpse inside to view its true colors. And just like a cell membrane, each stitch works as a gatekeeper on the surface simultaneously preserving the self and expressing identity. 

Below is a photo of traditional irish crochet lace motif.... And below that you'll find images documenting my process... still a work in progress as it approaches its installation next week. More to come then.