Herta Puls
Herta Puls
was born in 1915, and studied embroidery in Wales and the West of England. She
studied and wrote several books on the works of the Kuna Indians in the Sans
Blas Islands, Panama in the 1960’s. She collected many textiles and researched their
technique of reverse applique.
The Kuna
Indians make molas, traditional blouses or tops worn by the women. Two mola
panels, front and back, are incorporated as panels in the blouse. The patterns
originated from body painting and the oldest molas are probably about 150 to
170 years old. Patterns are traditionally geometric and often include designs
of flowers, marine life and birds. The panels
are made from between two and seven layers of coloured fabric sewn into
intricate designs using reverse applique. The sewing is very fine, and almost
invisible on the best molas.
It is
interesting that in the 1970s the Peace Corp arrived on the islands with
treadle sewing machines to help the women make their molas. These were quickly
rejected for traditional hand sewing application.
The interest
that grew in molas following Herta Puls books has led to many molas being bought
by collectors around the world; they are held in museums and private
collections.
http://artifex-almanach.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/mola.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mola_(art_form)
http://tamarembroideries.co.uk/methods/mola/
Mola Fish
Mola Costume
Hand Stitching
Vassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Kandinsky was a Russian painter who worked in Germany and
founded the Blue Rider Movement, an Expressionist group who believed art should
focus on spiritual ideas. He was a pioneer of abstract art and is credited with
painting one of first pieces. Kandinsky said he was inspired to try abstract
art when a painting fell on its side and he thought the shapes in it looked
more interesting.
He originally studied law and started painting age 30, mainly
life drawing and anatomy. Kandinsky moved to France in 1933 when Nazis closed
Bauhaus School of Art & Architecture in Germany, where he worked. He was fascinated by colour from childhood and also influenced
by Monet and Wagner, and he merged music and art. He was interested in line,
shape and particularly colour. Kandinsky thought colour could express feelings
in the same way as music.
In the Mid 1920s geometrical elements became important in
his work – particularly half circles, circles, arcs and lines. On Points (1928)
is like an explosion of geometric shapes, or rockets represented by arrows. The
shapes overlap and interlink and there is a feeling of transparency, similar to
the studies during the module. White Cross (1922) appears more chaotic with
many shapes vying for their space, but on closer inspection it is a carefully
thought out, cleverly composed work. The layers of different shapes and sizes
again are similar to the design techniques in this module, the strong
background solid shape against the smaller foreground shapes disintegrating
away. In both paintings shapes hang or float in the air. It has been
interesting to look at Kandinsky’s work and has inspired me to look at other
abstract art works from the perspective of an embroiderer.
Dickins Rosie The Usborne Introduction to Modern Art ISBN: 978074609952-0
On Points (1928)
White Cross (1922)
Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 1926)
I have visited Barcelona twice, and both times have become
enthused and intrigued with the works of the fabulous architecture Antoni
Gaudi. It is impossible to visit Barcelona and not find Gaudi; even if you do
not discover his name, you cannot miss his work. On my first visit to Barcelona my main aim was to visit the
Picasso Museum, but although I enjoyed it, for me nothing compares to the
exuberance of Gaudi. He is everywhere you look and when you look closely there
is even more. A strong user of geometric shapes, his work includes stars and
crosses everywhere you turn. The colour and textures he created are at the same
time bold and intricate.
It’s difficult to decide which is more famous the
cathedral, Familia Sagrada, or the municipal park, Parc Guell. If you arrive at
the park early or late in the day it is a peaceful haven to wander around and
discover the many different buildings and nooks and crannies that Gaudi added
to the abundance of plants growing there. The main part of the day the park is
packed solid with visitors so not quite as peaceful. The use of colour in the
mosaics is particularly shown at the entrance to the park with the roof of both
the porters lodge and administration centre, and the famous mosaic salamander
leading to the Hall of a Hundred Columns. But I love the serpentine bench which
surrounds the main square. The sunlight bounces off the mosaics and the views
are stunning.
From the main square you can see the towering fantasy land
cathedral, drawing you back out of the park to see more. The cathedral is the
most bizarre and stunning I have ever visited. There are layer upon layer
of geometric shapes, depictions and biblical stories. If you look closely there
are gaps and holes left to reveal secrets below. I cannot pick a favourite
part of the cathedral because my favourite is always where I’m looking at that
moment.
The first time I visited Barcelona I walked most of it and
you can see many of Gaudi’s works this way that are lesser known, the street
lamps at Placa Reial being another favourite of mine, and a variety of houses.
Although Gaudi was an architect, he clearly can be
described as an artist, albeit on a very large scale. For me his work relates wonderfully with this module, a mass of geometric shapes, including stars and crosses, but when studied more closely his mosaics are a colour wheel lesson and some of his architecture appears to be disintegrating in front of you, particularly shown in areas of the cathedral and park. When I visit Barcelona again maybe I will view his work with fresh eyes.
