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At the beginning of this module, I began to challenge the conventional definition of what constitutes a book. During one of our tutorials, Jonathan showcased an impressive array of Artists books that exemplified the diverse and unconventional forms that a book can take. Through this exploration, we dismantled the traditional notion of what defines a book, recognizing that while it may typically consist of pages, a cover, spine, narrative, and even a distinct scent, these elements don't necessarily have to be so overtly present or readily apparent.
My exploration began by immersing myself in the realm of historical manuscripts, tapestries and embroidery. These opulent works of art were designed to communicate elaborate stories and reflect the affluence and status of their owners or display locations. As I delved deeper, I found myself captivated by the intricate artistry of embroidery, especially the Bayeux tapestry. This remarkable piece of work tells a gripping, long-winding tale entirely through the medium of thread, capturing the essence of its characters and story with breathtaking precision.
Subsequently, I shifted my focus to mediaeval embroidery and, in particular, Opus Anglicanum - a form of needlework renowned for its exquisite quality and intricate designs. These magnificent pieces were reserved exclusively for the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in society and frequently featured depictions of historical events, interlaced with precious metals and jewels.
In addition to my exploration of historical embroidery, I also delved into the world of modern embroidery and how the technique has evolved. One contemporary artist who stood out to me was Orly Cogan, whose work exudes a delicate beauty that belies the often contradictory subject matter she portrays, such as scenes of drug use and drinking. I was drawn to her use of opposing ideas and wanted to incorporate this duality in my own work.
Cogan's embroidery stitches are strikingly expressive, imbuing her characters with a palpable sense of authenticity and adding a personal touch to her artwork. Additionally, her use of washes brings a fluidity and depth to her stationary line work that I find particularly impressive. Overall, her work has been a source of great inspiration for me in my own explorations of embroidery.
During my research, I came across Roszana Parker, who authored "The Subversive Stitch". This book offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between women and embroidery, and how it has been perceived as a form of domesticity rather than a fine art. Parker's work has played a significant role in redefining the art of embroidery’s historical and critical discourse, and has paved the way for the growth of contemporary crafts movements. I found it fascinating to see how Parker's work demonstrates the power of reexamining history and challenging cultural norms.
In addition, I examined the embroidery of Chloe Giordano, which is characterised by an exquisite level of detail and intricacy. I was particularly impressed by the quality of her work and wished that I had more time to incorporate similar rich detailing in my project.
I also looked at existing digital embroideries to help inform my project. Below are some examples, as you can see they are much bolder and more graphics orientated.
As part of my research, I delved into the world of existing artist's books, and the Artists Book section at the library proved to be an invaluable resource. I was particularly drawn to the layout of "Blood on Paper" from the V&A, which featured a fabric wrap and numerous large-scale illustrated pages. The book's design was impressive and informative. I also enjoyed examining an artist's book by Bill Burns, which offered a playful approach to presenting factual information, and I found the use of expanding pages to be a compelling feature. Jonathan's artist's books were also a source of inspiration, and I was fascinated by how he explored the tactile quality of fabrics and the ways in which the effects of being handled by multiple people imbued them with a unique memory and history.
In my narrative, I aimed to provide an unvarnished account of foxhunting and to offer a perspective from the fox's point of view, highlighting the brutality and needless nature of blood sports. Embroidery seemed like a fitting medium for this story, as its delicate nature suggests an inherent fragility. Over time, the fibres can wear, dyes can fade, and the embroidery can become susceptible to mould and insect damage. These qualities underscore the impermanence of the hunters' perceived power and suggest that, like the life of the fox, their position can be easily torn apart.
My research into the history of foxhunting revealed that its origins were just as barbaric as the practices still in use today. Participants revel in the cruelty of the sport, which is justified as a form of pest control or even just a good day out. New members are often initiated into the sport through a blooding ceremony, where the blood of the prey is smeared onto the cheeks of the novice with a handkerchief. This practice still persists to this day, and I felt that the handkerchief would be a fitting medium to tell the story of the sport's cruelty and needless violence.
Here are my research pages from my sketchbook.
After the GIF workshop I went on to create a living painting gif from my sketchbook.
To aid in my visualisation of the illustrations, I crafted a poem titled "Massacre of the Innocents," which is drawn from the biblical story of Herod, who orders the execution of all male children under two years old in Bethlehem. In my story, the innocent victims are the wildlife inhabitants of a wood, specifically the foxes who are targeted and hunted by humans.
Massacre of the Innocents
Come down to the hollow,
Past field fare and swallow,
Deep down in the hollow,
With me you shall follow.
With frost under foot and the stream frozen still, the winter sun wakes up the day.
A chorus from Robin, black cap and starling guides us on our merry way.
The aroma of fresh orange, cinnamon and clove drifts by on the icy breeze, not far to go I say!
Around great oak we turn and under dappled sunlight we sit.
Nestled amongst root, moss and fern I say we are here, this is it.
We enter the undergrowth and to some surprise there opens a great hall laden with eyes. In the centre, a grand table with food piled high. Welcome! I cry and all the guests rise.
Music begins and we sit and we dine, talking for hours over mince pies and wine. Day turns to night and on go the lights, the hall is a most wondrous sight. We dance and we sing, we laugh with our kin tonight we dine like Kings.
With bellies full and eyes heavy one by one the guests head to bed. Good night everyone and Merry Christmas I said!
The next morning a noise overhead.
Voices and footsteps thunder above our bed. A horn and hounds fills our hearts with dread.
Gnashing teeth and thrashing claws. Smashing through the burrow doors.
With bulging eyes and twisted smile.
Their vile hearts lust to defile.
We run, we hide but no escape. They laugh, they cry, they seal our fate. Biting, tearing flesh and bone they drag us down to hell we drown.
Whip-crack whip-crack, they steer their hounds. Their blood lust fueled, now they make their rounds. Through the woods their malice sounds, shattering once peaceful grounds.
Run, run! I wish to cry but I am no more, now just an echo of a war. Their reign of terror has just begun. The boxing day hunt has come.
Come down to the hollow,
Past field fare and swallow,
Deep down in the hollow,
You will find only sorrow.
–
After completing my narrative, I proceeded to create rough sketches. I wasn't sure if my usual watercolour painting style would be suitable for embroidery, so I opted to use fine liners for my designs instead. I consulted with the digital embroidery team, and considering that the results of digital embroidery tend to be very graphic, I concluded that strong and bold linework would be the most effective approach.
To create my embroidery designs, I first created various scenes that I could mix and match elements from. I wasn't too worried about scale, as I knew I could adjust it later in Photoshop. I also created backup designs in case the stitching didn't turn out as expected. Using Photoshop, I pieced together the different elements and traced the design onto the fabric. From there, I used both hand and digital stitching techniques to bring my designs to life.
In order to maintain the accuracy and truthfulness of my work on foxhunting practices, I relied on reference imagery obtained from real foxhunts, and my illustrations are closely based on actual creatures and events.
My next step was to acquire some handkerchiefs. I searched the internet and charity shops hunting for handkerchiefs. After a long fruitless search I bought some fabric thinking I would make my own if I came back empty handed. Eventually, I found some handkerchiefs in a store, but I felt they were not of the right quality for my project, which required a sense of luxury that would appeal to wealthy huntsmen. Therefore, I decided to make my own handkerchiefs and incorporate decorative stitching to add to their opulence.
To begin with the embroidery, I utilised Wilcom Embroidery Software to create digital designs. Given that I had no prior experience with digital embroidery, it was challenging to visualise the final product. I opted to start with simpler line drawings and then experimented with various colours, filled stitches and patterns to test the process as much as possible.
Afterwards, I progressed to my hand embroidery. The images below showcase some of my progress and reveal certain areas where I wasn't satisfied with the results and had to redo them. During the process, I experimented with various folding techniques to determine how best to present my work.
After completing the embroidery on all of my handkerchiefs, I felt that they lacked a certain something. With different methods of stitching used, I needed a unifying element. Drawing inspiration from Orly Cogan's art, I decided to experiment with washes. I tried various techniques such as splatters, droplets, and spreading the paint with different brushes until I achieved the desired look. However, due to the unpredictable nature of splatters and droplets, the final results did not turn out quite as expected. To prevent the piece from becoming muddled, I covered my designs with paper and used washes in the background, which worked well.
I realised that I needed a suitable container to keep my embroidered handkerchiefs in. After some searching, I found a foxhunting tin with images of the hunt around the sides. I thought this tin would work nicely as it presents the hunt as friendly and innocent, and when the handkerchiefs were displayed, it would twist the story. Moreover, it seemed like the kind of thing a hunt member would own. However, upon closer inspection, I found that the contrast between the hard tin and the soft handkerchiefs did not complement each other, so I decided to go back to the drawing board and find a better option.
I decided to create my own box for the handkerchiefs. I wanted to maintain the softness and delicacy of the handkerchiefs, so I made a fabric box with a cardboard lining for some structure. To add a countryside feel, I used a checker pattern fabric for the exterior but lined the interior with luxurious blood red velvet. My goal was to give the impression of opening the box into the inside of an animal, with the velvet representing soft flesh. I padded the velvet with wool and left it slightly loose so that it could move organically as the handkerchiefs were disturbed. Initially, I considered inscribing my story onto the lid, but I ultimately decided that leaving it blank would allow readers to draw their own conclusions, making for a more powerful piece. Lastly, I sprayed perfume into the box, imparting a scent of wealth and antiquity to the finished product.
Inspiring Books
Evaluative Statement
What makes a book a book? For this project, I questioned the definition of a book and its elements. This is an exploration into the concepts of a book and its playfulness in storytelling.
For my narrative I tell an unvarnished account of foxhunting and offer a perspective from the fox's point of view; highlighting the brutality and needless nature of blood sports. The origins of foxhuntings were just as barbaric as the practices still in use today. Participants revel in the cruelty of the sport, which is justified as a form of pest control or even just a good day out. New members are initiated into the sport through a blooding ceremony, where the blood of the prey is smeared onto the cheeks of the novice with a handkerchief.
To me, the handkerchief became an appropriate vessel through which to deliver my story.
Historical manuscripts, tapestries, and embroidery are works of art designed to communicate elaborate stories and reflect the affluence and status of their owner. Embroidery lends itself a fitting medium for this story, as its delicate nature suggests an inherent fragility. Over time, the fibres can wear, dyes can fade, and the embroidery can become susceptible to mould and insect damage. These qualities underscore the impermanence of the hunters' perceived power and suggest that, like the life of the fox, their position can be easily torn apart.
Leaving the past, I delved into modern embroidery. One contemporary artist who stands out is Orly Cogan, whose work exudes a delicate beauty that belies the often contradictory subject matter she portrays, such as scenes of drug use and drinking. I was drawn to her use of opposing ideas and wanted to incorporate this duality in my own work.
Throughout the creation process I practised both traditional and digital embroidery techniques, exploring simple line work to intricate patterns and coloured fills. To aid in the visualisation of my story, I wrote a poem and produced rough sketches.
The handkerchiefs needed a container to store them in. I considered a tin with a foxhunting theme, but I realised that the rigid metal did not complement the softness of the handkerchiefs. Thus, I created a fabric box with a cardboard lining for added structure. The outside was wrapped in fabric reminiscent of tweed countryside, but I gave the impression of opening the box into the interior of an animal, with red velvet fabric representing soft flesh. Finally, I sprayed perfume into the box, imparting a scent of luxury and history to the finished product.
In conclusion, I feel the handkerchiefs have effectively captured the sense of luxury that I aimed to convey, and the box fits the theme. If given the opportunity to do it again, I would opt for a consistent embroidery technique across all the pieces to achieve a more harmonious look. Furthermore, I would like to create a full-colour version of the project like the digital sample I tested during the process.
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