ArtClothText

Lesley Bricknell, `Preservation` series (work in progress)

partially constructed textile, lace imprints (photo image)

Every now and again an essay comes along that is totally inspirational and for me it is ‘From the Museum of Touch’ by Susan Stewart in Material Memories: Design and Evocation (Marius Kwint, et al eds, Oxford, Berg, 1999). Basically her concern is with the paradox of ‘touch’ in terms of makers and the ‘denial of touch’ in terms of their display and preservation. She refers to museum collections as ‘repositaries of touch and care’ in itself a lyrical description. She also looks specifically at artist Anne Wilson. She is very much a ‘tactile’ artist. She uses human hair extensively in her work, minutely stitched and, in some pieces, placed under glass. An indication of her interest in archiving and presentation and subsequent installation and video pieces. Desire to touch, caress not permitted.

At the time of reading ‘From the Museum of Touch’ I was hooked on an image of a dress (white of course) worn by Emily Dickinson. I couldn’t really work out my fascination until it dawned on me that it was the idea of ‘preservation’ that really interested me. And I can now see I’m into the touch ‘denial’ thing too! My background is in Textiles. Invariably, however, I make photo or scanned imagery that has evolved from tactile origins. The need or desire to physically handle material, stuff, etc. is important for me despite the fact that little survives as evidence. Touch, apparently, is one that is ultimately linked to emotion and feeling. The activity of producing a digital image can be clinical, distant, mechanical. At least in my experience. I value the physicality of this particular way of making work. And recent reading has in turn moved things on a little.

Submitted by Lesley Bricknell