Process
SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS
Magdalena Abakanowicz is, among other works, known for her Abakans, big woven sculptures. I got inspired by her use of different fibre materials, some of which don’t cost anything and have been collected from the ground such as pieces of rope from the harbour. I want to explore how to make my own art works using free materials and constructing them from the beginning, from fibre stage, myself. Nettles grow everywhere and they are free. Living without money inspires me.
First my idea was to make a guidebook of how just anybody could start making nettle fabric without any previous experience, expensive tools, living in the city. So I picked some nettles by the river next to the school, watched some Youtube-videos and started trying to make yarn for the first time. (I’m still considering using this idea, possibly as a side project that could be accessed by QR-code.)
Then the idea developed to testing nettle fiber as a building material with clay. Many young Finnish architects are interested in clay as sustainable, healthy and in all ways perfect building material of the future (and also past). I have organised clay building courses for my architect friends and also I happened to have easy access to it after taking ceramics safety course. Clay is often used with natural fibers, though not that I know of with nettle fiber. Clay interests me for the same reasons than nettle. Also both of these materials turn back to soil when not in use anymore.
I collected nettles on my way to school by Akerselva, separated the fibres and spun them into thread. My flatmate told me about a nettle fibre exhibition.
I told everyone on my class about the nettle exhibition and found out that quite many are interested in nettles, and some have been experimenting with it already. Carla showed me another way to spin a rope-looking thread that is stronger. I tried that and used for it fibres that I separated from one-day old nettles. I went to see an exhibition On Lyncanthropy Fabulation & Weaving Spells by Simon Daniel Tegnander Wenzel at Billedkunstnerne i Oslo gallery. Afterwards I messaged him to ask some advice.
I separated fibres from two-day old nettles and watched another video “Nettles for Textile” by Allan Brown.
I thought about what could be the connection to architecture in this project. I then came up with an idea to make more spatial sculptures with nettle fibre and clay. Also Magdalena Abakanowicz’s art works are spatial. With the sculptures I could address themes (in architecture) such as:
resources stored in existing buildings
memory and layers of history in built environment
participation
old craft skills that have disappeared
appreciation of old buildings and traditional techniques
I dipped nettle fiber in liquid clay and used round shaped support forms to make simple and self-standing miniature structures.
Beauty in disappearing
I thought I could put these structures on display in a public space and follow how they react to weather and other circumstances, possibly disappearing, turning back into soil.
I wrote on them:
no building is eternal
/
what happens to abandoned building
/
this building turns to back into soil
With this I’m commenting on use of plastic and other artificial building materials that end up being waste at some point, usually quite early point since they are difficult to repair. I’m planning on writing more about this in the book. And I’m going to go and check on the structures every day until the book binding starts.
Book making workshop week