Embroidered photographs
When I was little I had a postcard of a Flamenco dancer – in gaudy, gorgeous saturated 70s colour – and the skirt of her dress was embroidered. I loved it – the ‘real’ quality of the dress, even while it made the photo somehow more unreal. I used to love rubbing my finger over the rows of long stitches too.
The above isn’t my Flamenco lady – who knows where she and her castanets went. It’s from an article about the art of embroidered photographs by John Foster on Designobserver.com.
His article takes in not just these kitsch postcard images, but also the uses artists have made of embroidering photographs too. He highlights the work of Italian artist Maurizio Anzeri, who embellishes found photographs with incredibly detailed geometric embroidery patterns.
Also highlighted is Dutch artist Hinke Schreuders. Again using vintage photography, this time images of women and starlets, the work appears more to draw out both the glamour of the old pictures, and notions of domesticity and the confinement it brings. Her website is called Suds and Soda, after all.
I want to get to run my finger over the stitching on all them of, then put them up on my wall. You?
Yes. Hinke Schreuders work is fascinating and I’m sure, very tactile. Love it.
lovely aren’t they. Do you recall the postcard of which I speak?
Is it just me or is there something a bit Hannibal Lector about Maurizio’s embroidery?
I wonder if these should be a Trend or a Travesty…
Hinke’s however, are much more my cup of tea. Really quite loving those.