This piece was created for the exhibition Wearable/ Unwearable at the Crafts Council of Ireland Gallery, Kilkenny. On first hearing the proposal for this exhibition I percieved it as a challenge of how to create something that would be coveted and desired, but utterly unwearable?
I felt that the piece should remain deliciously tactile and perfectly practical to wear, but by exaggerating human proportions it would tease the viewer with a promise that could never be fullfilled. My muse for this piece was the portrayl of Absalom in a marble mosaic in Siena Cathederal. For me he epitomises ‘vanity’ as his proud flowing mane of blond hair was the instrument that led to his gruesome death.
Materials: cotton, rayon, cow tails
Techniques: hand knitting, machine embroidery guipure lace, hand stitch
