Fibers/Textiles: Ridl

poems and prayers…

Though traditionally discovered in written or verbal form, how might you re-imagine and give a poem or prayer visual form? This is your task for this project…to create a piece that gives a poem or prayer physical and artistic shape…

So…

FIRST: Select a poem from the collection we are reading and exploring in class to inspire/drive your artistic exploration. 

Then, using fibers materials and processes (consider a combination of thread, yarn, fabric, stuffing paper, wire, and the processes of stitching, embroidering, patching, layering, collaging, weaving, and or dying) create a piece that is inspired by or incorporates this text into your work...your work could be a sculpture, a piece of wearable art, a wall piece, installation, or video! It may be illustrative OR abstract! 

Let the text itself guide the tone of your work…your piece's FORM should add to the poetry and FEEL of the work that you create. 

For example a prayer of Thanksgiving might have a very different feel than a Lament. How could the FORM of your creation feel either celebratory or mournful? 

Look at this beautiful and poetic piece. A simple piece of fabric becomes expressive!: 

Explore this website of work by Artist Lesley Dill...especially check out her paper and fiber sculptures: Lesley Dill

Imagine…

How does a prayer stitched into a teabag or wrapped around the sleeve of a shirt expand our experience with these words? Could the setting or environment where your piece is displayed be important to the way we interpret the work? How could you make the poem 3D? Could the poem become a container or vessel? Could the prayer be worn as an article of clothing? Or grow like a plant? Or tangle in confusion? Could it wrap around or hang from a tree? Fly free in the wind....?

Requirements:

--Use of fibers-materials (you can think about this WIDELY!i.e. fabric, paper, weaving, sticks...any of the materials or processes that we've used this semester!)

--Stitching or use of thread

--Some Text (not necessarily ALL of it) from the poem or prayer

Some methods you might consider:

--wrapping (as in covering wire with thread, or embedding shapes in fabric)

--embroidering…integrating stitched text into an unusual background

--photo transfer…using photography and then transferring this to fabric…you could even photocopy text (handwritten, typed, etc) and then transfer this to fabric, stitch into it etc. etc…

--weaving (for example you might consider weaving paper with words rather than traditional yarn…)

Consider how you might elegantly and inventively give your text SHAPE and FORM.

You are now creating, in a sense, a prayer or poem that you can not only read, or hear, but also…

……………………………………………………………HOLD OR SEE.

 Checklist:

___choose, read, and re-read poem!

___ create at least 5 sketches of various forms these words might take (photograph your sketches)

___ collect materials needed

___ create your poem/prayer piece...

___ take at least 2 high quality photos of your work (unless the piece is a video)

___ write and edit a paragraph or two as an artist statement. Walk us through the process of your creation. What visual choices did you have to make? How did you make these choices? Did your project change from initial idea to the finished project? How does the your piece relate to the words that inspired you? Thoughtfully tell us about your work!

___ share or email your sketches, 2 images of finished work, and artist statement to Ms.Ridl in a google doc, keynote, prezi, video, or other presentation form of your choice. 

____________________________________________________________

Evaluation will be based on: 

Idea Generation/Brainstorming/Problem Solving (artist has taken time to research idea and really let project develop beyond surface idea)         

Creativity (design is unexpected, new, inventive, and or lets us see these materials in a new way!)  

Craftsmanship/Overall success of Composition(artist has carefully put together materials, there is a fine attention to detail, obvious time and care has been put into the piece, piece works together visually and has strong design sense)    

Inclusion of Requirements:

Effort/Ambitiousness (artist worked hard in class and worked beyond merely ‘filling requirements’, design shows evidence of complex problem solving and relationship between form and poetry/prayer content)         

Presentation/Writing: