Damage and Repair

I was on quite a roll at the end of last year, so many ideas and techniques tried such as drawing on felt, calico and free machine embroidery from direct observation onto dissolvable fabric. I burnt fabric and repaired the  holes with embroidery, and created something new from the damage. So now, where to take this? 

When things are damaged we either decide to just throw them away, try to repair or recycle. Whilst visiting the Ashmolean Museum, OxfordI, at the weekend I  read a thoughtful Swedish proverb that was included in an exhibition about conservation  -

 'What breaks in a moment may take years to mend'

Crockery and glasses get dropped and the damaged in seconds whilst stone statues and heavy bronze basins (Asmolean Museum) will take years to decay. Lives can be taken in seconds or disease can cause a slow deterioration in our daily actions but what is common to all is our desire to try and mend: mend a broken heart after a death or meticulously put a china pot back together.  But how can successful this can be will depend on how we view the damage: how much we need it to be back together again and how much we can manage to make do with what we have left. 

Museums can often be left with a similar dilemma - to conserve and restore or just preserve in the state the artefact is now in. Traditionally conservators aimed to enhance the damage and alter the objects or paintings that they were working with.  This might be true of the Sistene Chapel in Rome when layers of dirt, grime and candle smoke were removed and revealed unexpected bright colours. However, it has been suggested that Michelangelo had not intended that to be the case; Bob Dugan (1) supports the argument that it was not intended to be bright - Michelangelo had painted subdued colours. The conservators had  also removed the protective layer and left the Sistene Chapel opened to the elements - attacked by the humidity caused by the large number of daily visitors. Likewise was the question of wether or not to repair the broken arm of the Venous de Milo. 

Before and after, Sistene Chapel

The Asmolean also had some some examples of copper bowls that had been cleaned in an attempt to remove the corrosion - a porous surface was left with holes where no solid metal remained. The bowl on the right has not been touched - evidence of the past is preserved in the corrosion.

So questions for me to start thinking about:

- Damage that has happened, does it need to be repaired?  Will it be an improvement?

- Is a an ugly part of somethings history as much a part of the story as what is genuine and original?

- What about the new patterns, pieces and shapes that were once the object, the life - can they now take on a new role? New purpose?

1 - http://bigthink.com/Picture-This/did-the-vatican-ruin-the-sistine-chapel-frescoes

An Introduction for year three...

I am now at the start of my final year at Bath Spa University: this will be spread over two years as I continue part-time because I also work two days a week as a Midwife and take care of  my two sons. Last year ended really well (81% and 83% for my two modules)  but with work now being thrown into the mix and an impending degree show, what will happen? 

First, a few images from last year :

Now untitled

'We Should Smile More...'

These images were part of a series of work that explored my need to be perfect: free machine embroidery drawn for direct observation onto dissolvable fabric. Whilst every effort was made to draw well, stitches were not corrected once made and the removal of the backing fabric on completion of the work left the drawing to find it's own shape. An amount of fear would be evident as I lost control over my work and the threads became themselves without their support. How would I feel about the final result? Perfect, not perfect; which was best and which would I accept? 

Still unanswered, this project has now been moved to my Art module because  the idea of perfection is such an exciting area of investigation.

The other area that I worked with last year was the idea of 'Damage and Repair' as seen in these images...

This project was based on another personal subject - trying to repair damaged lives after the death of my husband (see  Art and Textiles blog - The Heart of It). Perhaps both subjects are intrinsically linked but I think they are both equally weighty elements worthy of separate discussion and investigation. 

Trying to repair the damage caused by Carls death has led me up the path of trying to be perfect, trying to be a dad and a mother at the same time whilst making sure that my degree is a worthy investment of my limited time. But is a flawless repair necessary, can we not just make the best of what we now have? Perhaps the cracks and fragmented pieces can have a  new identity, one that does not forget the past but makes the best of what we now have. And maybe some of these newly created shapes will show a greater beauty and appreciation.