Catharine Callaghan
Evolving Enigma Forms #4
Size: Variable
Materials: cotton crochet thread, wire, ceramic beads
Photo: Grace Yu & Catharine Callaghan
My work is about possibilities, usually light-hearted, sometimes mischievous, although darker, threatening things may be at play. I have never desired to impose my own ideas on others – my work is deliberately ambiguous, but suggestive.
As they have developed, these biomorphic crocheted pieces have taken on a life of their own in my and other people’s imagination – I’m frequently asked, ‘What are they?’ or, ‘Are they…?’
At different times, in different settings, they are different things, have different meanings. Are they symbolic of some state of mind e.g. sadness, anger, mischief? Or represent a socio-economic situation e.g. isolation, loneliness? Or do they depict a natural phenomena or process e.g. the aurora borealis, predation, meiosis? Or are they a representation of something e.g. flowers, jellyfish, mushrooms. In the end this work is about relationships – emotional, biological, ecological, at the levels of individual, species and community…
Catherine I am intrigued by your work. I appreciate the use of natural material and the concept of relationships. I enjoy crocheting simple designs. The most intricate one I've done is lace edging for a table cloth. Your work motivated me to try a random design and I was happy with the result. I want to know how you presented the piece and the approximate size. I look forward to hearing from you.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love how you have played with light, opaqueness and transparency on the abstracted form. Allowing the familiar yet unrecognizable object to portray itself as multiple objects at once, as well as multiple meanings. It is beautiful!
ReplyDelete