Sewn Asemics from Marie Wintzer

[cheryl penn]

Another sucessful Conceptual Work from Marie In Japan.

Most of the time we think of books as modular entities. Neat pages, filled with images and text.  Legible text,  a language system encased.   When one is confronted with shadow writing, it needs another sort of book then, not so?

A book where the pagination is as different as the contents within.   The page sizes not following  expected conventions.  Marie manages all this and more with this booklet I received.  

A writing format with loops and swirls, made of  threads - but still following the  symmetry of text.  Hinting at hidden meaning, inviting the viewer the wonder at intention and meaning, even though the nature of the work is experimental. I have a very clear image of Marie making this particular work for some reason, in her home in Japan.   The note I always look forward to - today - real writing housed with asemic writing. 

That notebook Marie - its  a treasure I bet!! AND - I think this is a world premiere of hand sewn text in a book - and its mine :-) - This FAB FAB is mine!!! 

 

[De Villo Sloan]

is it knot writing? tell me. i'm hanging on by a thread. stop stringing me along! what do these thimbles (symbols) mean? don't make me hem and haw!

[De Villo Sloan]

Yes, you have the sewing, which is utilitarian and perhaps folkart, and you're connecting that to the concept of page or canvas. It's very intriguing.

 

With DW, I just wanted to prepare you for the inevitable "dumbing down" of textile asemics to the lowest common denominator - probably Grigori will be mailing his underwear before it's over. I told DW to keep his pants on.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Marie hand sewn and allowed the threads to form shapes and they hold those shapes...how does she do that? Also beautiful contrast on the fabric pages as Cheryl mention..FAB!

[cheryl penn]

For sure - the grounds (I wonder if thats correct terminology here - its for painting) onto which the sewing is done also counts towards content. Complimenting or contrasting.  Textile asemic made from ketchup? Tell D.W. to post a pic, we'll take a vote :-)

[De Villo Sloan]

Machine or hand offer different possibilities. Marie's threads are certainly very asemic. She also has blank backgrounds that are more page-like. I do hope people explore this further. DW spilled ketchup on his shirt and asked me if it was textile asemic ;)

[cheryl penn]

O - another interesting difference between Marie's sewn asemics and mine - Marie's were hand sewn into a handmade book.  Mine were machine sewn.  The looseness of the script (bearing in mind the references to hand writing) are much more effective in Marie's work.

[De Villo Sloan]

Cheryl, I can't find any examples of your textile asemics here anywhere. Wait, I'll check Kat's blog.

[cheryl penn]

Yes - but not as good as Marie's :-)  Marie housed hers in its right context. It seems a very natural progression - I think Katerina posted a blog? The more I think about it -  Marie's comments on the nature of books and content versus structure is FAB :-)

[De Villo Sloan]

Thank you, Cheryl. I became very excited and perhaps even agitated over Marie's asemic textiles. Hunting around here, I find you actually invented it? I know it doesn't matter, but you made one before Marie?

[cheryl penn]

Some books used to be made of cloth -  cloth books were big for example in the Victorian era.  Its VERY feasible for sure.  Floppy hmmm - no? I think that the book Marie has made is also conceptual from that point - she has sewn asemics and made a cloth book as opposed to a paper book -  definitely conceptual underpinning there - known or not - most times an instinctive response to materials is the best.