The Raven
About This Piece
The Raven
Made from zippers, buttons, telephone wire, transistors, snaps, thermoplastic scraps, silk, habit fabric, wool, Mola scraps, & steel.
The raven is an archetype that appears in many different cultures. It can be a messenger of bad news or a savior of the world, a trickster or creator, a stealer of the soul or good luck, mostly a linkage between life and death. Its dichotomy in meaning is intriguing, philosophically puzzling, artistically challenging.
This fiber sculpture was inspired by the blackness of a pile of ‘traditional nun’s habits’ that were given to me by a sister who was clearing out the sewing room of a convent. The open arch of a welded armature I had created seemed to demand that rich blackness of the habits to create the shadow of shelter. After much indecision about what this open arch was going to become I placed a head on the top of the arch, with the black cloth thrown over and there was the beginnings of a raven. I knew the black zipper wings would work but something was needed to make is piece sing. As I rummaged through my stash of cloth I came across the Mola (Kuna textile art) remnant that I had recovered from a thrift store denim skirt. The bright colors of the hand stitched Mola and the black of the habit together began to make the raven sing.
"My fiber sculptures honor the integrity of traditional cloth in a contemporary setting, placing them in a 3 dimensional element." - Barbara Riegel Bend
As a fiber artist I am drawn to the rich heritage of cloth and the story it tells through its content, color, design, and cultural history. I work with fabrics that have their own integrity and voice. In my fiber sculptures I explore the interplay of cross cultural fabrics stitched side by side with a reconfiguration of contemporary ‘throw away items’ that in their new form share the pattern, color or texture but not the history. I look to these contemporary items, such as snaps, perm rollers, zippers, for their design elements and ability to attach and repeat thus creating a rhythmic pattern to sew on to these fiber sculptures.
My fiber sculpture forms are internally supported by welded scrap metal, fencing or electrical wire structures. The shape is built up by tightly wrapped strips of knit t-shirts. The result is a firm and sturdy sculpture that is self supporting with a solid form. My fiber sculptures flare out with movement to help express the energy of the moment expressed.
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