Large, imposing doors conjure up images of secure, dank prisons or dungeons. While working on my piece I kept thinking of the few infamous prisons I had heard of. The Bastille doors in Paris would have been much bigger than my final effort, so I named it Alcatraz doors as they were the right size, and of course, equally well known.
Old teabags became the walls and bricks of the building. The first ‘door’ was rejected as it was too small but I then used it for the label, at the back. Purple organza and netting scraps were used to bring depth, the shadows. I kept jotting down ideas on my ‘design paper’ as I went along, using some and rejecting others. Found 2 circular washers for the door handles. Applied Oil Pastels on the doors to give them an aged look. Couldn’t resist embroidering some grasses and leaves as they definitely start growing on these old walls.
The hardest part was finding the picture of a door I felt I could recreate in fabric.
Many years ago I made this wall hanging of a Zanzibari door for an exhibition in Cape Town, where it was bought and sent to England as a present.
Enjoy,
Allison.
Alison, I REALLY love your piece. I love everything about it. It may be a prison door but it actually has a very inviting feel. I especially love seeing the way you have used the tea bags as I have only recently been made aware of what a great art resource they are and am collecting them to use in my next piece.
ReplyDeleteI opened the comments to write ... exactly what Amanda has said!
DeleteBravo!
Stunning piece, Allison. Such wonderful textures and imagery. Really inspired choices of materials to convey the crumbling state. As Amanda said, strangely the red door is kind of friendly...
ReplyDeleteYour Zanzibar door is pure Africana - in that it has that special something about the execution and embellishments that cries out 'made by a South Africa textile artist'. I'm not surprised and delighted for you that it was bought. Love it. H
Tea bags are wonderful to work with and being a regular tea drinker I always have dried tea bags in my sewing room . You used these cleverly in your quilt for the walls. I did like your choice of colours and the embellishments and embroidery added a lot of interest.
ReplyDeleteWonderful piece Alison. Very clever use of everyday materials. Fabulous result.
ReplyDeleteYes, that red door is definitely inviting. I love your use of the materials, and the textures that gives to the walls and doors. I like the Zanzibar door too. I don't drink much tea, and rarely from teabags, but I have recently bought some teabag paper from Artvango, and intend to experiment with it when I can get up the stairs to the attic.
ReplyDeleteWow Alison a beautiful rendition of your door. It looks really great and clever too using teabags so well. Your colours work so well and also the way you have distressed the wood with oil pastels. A really well thought out piece of work.
ReplyDeleteLike the others, I really love this. Not so sure about the name as I want to go through this door, and I definitely don't want to end up in a prison. I think what makes this stand out are your choice of colours and the depth you have given the piece through clever use of shading. I always planned to do a teabag project, but sadly have stopped drinking tea from bags so I'm going to have to rethink my idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely Allison. And warm and inviting! Your use of materials to created the aging of the wall and door is very effective. And I like the hand stitching that you've done.
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