Page 86 - Test Issue Flip

UNRAVELING
Photography & Styling Eelco Dekker, Studio Bloesem & Mei Kwee Chong Words Studio Bloesem
Pattern Design Jessica Nielsen
History is on our side. There has been a growing appreciation for art works that appear (and actually are...) incomplete. This phenomenon dates back centuries and you’ll find its
significance in many different cultures, from East to West. There is no shame in unfinished works of art, and yarn crafting is no exception. So we can all relax now. Who cares if we drop a stitch or two or leave some of our projects unfinished on display for all to see? Even Da Vinci and Michelangelo already knew how fashionable it was to leave some of life’s works “non- finito”. The essence is to keep an open mind and see the beauty in imperfections. But enough with the name dropping! Let’s get going with some less than perfect needlework.
At first glance, we would not think of embroidery as a craft that could easily make it to our short list of imperfections. If anything, this needle art seems to breathe perfection through every stitch. Delicate, meticulous and neat, with hidden stitches and other sophistications. Or perhaps there is more than meets the eye? Ana Teresa Barboza proves the perfectionists wrong by adopting an unfinished style for her embroideries. Having a myriad of threads hanging off the surface, Ana creates art from the imperfect. Her unfinished embroidery is rough around the edges but it is very genuine and original work. Quite a radical departure from the conventional, we wholeheartedly support this new approach to embroidery. You simply have to love it. So, embroiderers, it is time to loosen up a little and let your hair down for a change. But, a word of caution, unfinished work is no excuse for sloppiness — stay sharp!
//
084