Archived Writing

There has often been a distinction of ‘craft’ when it comes to art, specifically in the cases of mediums which were born from functionality, as well as pure aesthetic. According to Ferren Gipson in her book “Women’s Work”, these mediums can be embroidery, ceramics, quilting etc., and are predominantly associated with women, hence why they have been marginalized within the art canon. Since industrialism, these crafts have become mechanized, however, there is a technique which falls under the term of ‘craft’, which has never been replicated via machine, and this is my medium of choice for my current work, crochet. 

Since 2021, I have been using crochet in a sculptural manner; this first manifested as my large, crocheted and stuffed hammer, Hit Me Gently, where I had very much leaned into the genre of ‘soft sculpture’. After working within this line of inquiry for a few of my other works, I began to research the likes of Lucy R. Lippard’s “Eccentric Abstraction” manifesto as well as Meret Oppenheim’s Object (1936), and so further considered the impact of ‘body feel’ when juxtaposing objects with opposing materials. Further to this, I also began to consider the overall sensory aspect of my work (which also harks back to my study of psychology); alongside the underpinning theme of gendered craft. This first culminated in the work Waited Blanket, which consisted of a ‘granny square’ crochet blanket, with hexagonal steel nuts woven throughout the work. With this, I had focused on the materials of choice being in conflict with the intended use of the object; and so, the nuts changing the blanket from being a soft, warm item, to being extremely heavy, cold and hard. 

Following the formless nature of the work Waited Blanket, I returned to the object-based forms of sculpture, contextualized by my interest into object-oriented ontology, and my fascination with art which utilizes everyday objects, highlighting their importance. An example of this being Michael Landy’s Break Down (2001), where Landy had destroyed all of his belongings, evoking a sense of catharsis. As a development from my previous process of crocheting an object ‘shell’ and then stuffing it, I began to acquire objects and wrap them in crochet instead. This technique was motivated by the works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, as well as Judith Scott, and the different ways in which these artists approached wrapping with fabrics. Thus, resulting in my works Suck and Blow, and Shrink It and Pink It, being a leaf blower and a set of toy cars (respectively), which had been wrapped in bespoke crochet fabric. Alongside this newfound technique, these works continued the narrative of the crochet being contrasted with overbearing traditional gender norms; with a reflection of gendered domesticity in Suck and Blow, as well as a critique of gendered marketing tactics in Shrink It and Pink It, influenced by reading of Grayson Perry’s “Descent of Man”. Technically, these works had allowed me to experiment with, on a variety of scales, a more solidified form, rather than the previous softer sculptures. 

All this investigation has led me to create my most recent piece of work, A Sinking Feeling, which consists of a large-scale anchor, constructed with a wooden base, which has been covered in crochet material. With this work, I chose the anchor as an object which alludes to traditional sailing culture, and the gendered stereotypes and superstitions that run alongside it, and so consequently contrasting these beliefs with the perceptibly ‘feminine’ crochet. Parallel to this narrative is the use of both major explorations in my recent work, as discussed earlier, being the technique of wrapping a harder object in softer materials, as well as considering the sensory aspect of textiles more. After attending “Please Touch The Art” at Tate Modern (Tate Lates; 31/03/23), where a panel of visually impaired artists discussed the importance of senses other than vision, I felt inclined to emphasize the tactile nature of my work further. And so, I have chosen to include a variety of textures, through selecting different yarn weights/materials and utilizing stitches which create a unique fabric surface. Moreover, upon installation, A Sinking Feeling will be able to be touched by members of the public; the first of my works which will encourage this. By perceiving this work through the sense of touch, I also aim to consider the weight of ‘the gaze’ within contemporary art. As John Berger stipulates in “Ways of Seeing”, traditionally, art has been created under the ‘male gaze’, a notion, which in recent years, has often been questioned. By inviting the viewer to touch A Sinking Feeling, I hope that the work will be experienced in a more visceral, intimate way; and by breaking down the domineering ‘gaze’, I hope to further question gender nuances which surround the creation and perception of art.  

April, 2023.