Artist’s Statement
I think it’s important when we think of community that we understand and realize how many different kinds of people from different places and different backgrounds make up a community. We’re all very different in all kinds of ways. Language if often seen as the biggest barrier between groups of people because there is that challenge of communication. “Hello” is a word that is common among all languages is a word that connects people and brings people together. No matter what language you speak, there is a word that resonates with the meaning of “hello” and in that way, we are not so different. It terms of community, this word is a means of welcoming and greeting. According to Merriam Webster, “hello” is one of the words that most people learn first in their lives. The word hello has also been in use for the last 150 years of the 1000-year history of English.
For our final project, we were asked to use a combination of our learned methods this semester to create a textile that would be later turned into a sculpture, installation, or wearable piece of some sort that resonated with a strong concept. Of all the different techniques that we’ve learned throughout this semester including casting, dyeing, weaving, woodcutting, and many more, the laser cutter was the best option in creating something complex with a deeper message. The goal for this project was to challenge myself with the methods of the laser cutter to execute the message of community that we’ve been aiming for the entire semester.
My final piece is a hand sewn patchwork tapestry made from denim patchwork that was hand cut from existing denim pants, making it an upcycled piece of art. Each denim patch has a laser cut or rasterized version of hello in various different languages. In creating this piece the most difficult aspect of it was in creating all the individual pieces themselves. Laser Cutting and rasterizing the denim was tedious and painstaking. Some of them didn’t work out and it took a lot of trial and error to get the settings of the laser cutter exactly how I wanted it to be. Overall, I think my piece was a success and it exemplified the class theme very well because I feel like everyone could relate to it in some shape or form. In choosing to display it, I wanted it to be an installation of some sort, not just a hanging object. Instead of hanging it on the wall, I wanted to hang it in the middle of my classroom, so that students could walk around it and view the piece from different angles. When people view my work, I want them to feel inclusive in the community at large and to feel like they have a role to play in the community. That is my goal in creating this piece.
