Initial visual research led me to the conclusion that gender differences are arbitrary, socially constructed. The textile acquires masculine or feminine traits through association. Lace has feminine associations in both dress and the domestic environment yet has been worn by both sexes throughout history.
I was particularly struck by the similarities of the feminine lace petticoats that form part of traditional Mexican dress and the lace garment worn as part of papal vestments. Lace is a textile of strong contrasts; masculine and feminine, delicate yet strong, demure yet erotic... revealing and also concealing.
The holes in the lace are a metaphor for the missing parts of stories, the gaps in our knowledge. The idea of looking through holes to see deeper layers led to the idea of pages in a book. The book is a powerful communicator, inviting conversation with the spectator.
Book pages were constructed from pieces of donated lace, each piece bringing with it a story, a history, yet in each case an incomplete story with parts missing. As I stitched the lace together, stories were stitched into the surface becomming embedded within the pages, present yet hidden, revealed yet concealed.
The narrative becomes the thread that holds the story together. The spectator is invited to fill in the missing pieces, the holes, the lacunae. Nothing is obvious.
The narrative becomes the thread that holds the story together. The spectator is invited to fill in the missing pieces, the holes, the lacunae. Nothing is obvious.