THE HIDDEN

There is something extraordinary about peripheral landscapes - the nether regions of laneways, back alleys, and the blurred distinctions of city/surburbia/country. I have a complete love of back lanes rich in historic cultures of seediness, disarray, deterioration, the anti:detail. Conveniently forgotten moments of history seen through cracks, drainpipes, and the haphazard collections of outbuildings, wrapped through Deluezian Folds and rich in context. But more exactly, I love the transformation these back alleys take when small parts become re-used - a new cafe, a new clothes shop, a design office. Melbourne, Paris, London all have great alleys rich in life. I find great abstracted excitement in negative spaces - the voids of left over space and what they reveal about a place and it's life - the hidden. So it is no surprise that I find myself drawn time and again to the back alley ways of sewing and knitting. The underside is often far more complex and entwined than the front, far more revealing of intent and process than the pristine fronts will ever encourage. I often stare longingly at seams - the path of travel to complete a whole - and the back side of knitting projects. The Pea Pod Jacket above has a leaf lace insert - I like the bulbous back - rough and gnarly, a starck contrast to the delicate leaf patterned front. I like to think perhaps the leaves are putting down roots...

In the 3 years that I've known M-H I can probably recall the number of times I've seen her actually knitting on one hand. The rest of the time she spends weaving in intricate threads of colourwork, each piece telling it's own little story of the garment. I love those pieces of strangled left over yarns, and that we get to see that stage, rather than just a finished object revealed. Perhaps that is why I love to reveal only snippets of projects :: because the process is better than the finished.

Martha has a blog triptych banner which is derived from photographs of the seams inside a bag she made. I adore these photos, neat seams full of life and movement, and her blog entry for it is just as lovely (and refers back to Carson again). I can only imagine that turning one of her garments inside out would be as pleasurable as seeing it the 'right' way.

And then there is Lisa and her embroidery reversings:: photographs of the backsides of embroidery pieces complete with threads left waving -

- the inner sanctum organs revealed.

Comments

[Iona]

What delicate musings! I am reminded of the alleys in Florence; gorgeous, tucked away places where hardly any tourists wandered, filled with ateliers and interesting corners. It's that I remember most fondly, particularly the late autumn light and the cosiness of shop lights. I enjoy the inside-out of cities but I rarely stop to appreciate the inside outness of my sewing or knitting. I think I should take another look.

[M-H]

Heh! I save all my ends running in for SSK meetings, because I can't easily do that while I'm watching TV in the evenings. I do knit, just not at SSK. :)

[lisa s]

you and me both.... i'm interested in what is "Between" too....

thanks for the good thoughts, and for including me....i feel honored xo

[The Steph]

So strange to read a post that, to me, is in the FUTURE!!! Today is Feb 14 (still) for me. Woah.

[Alex]

Oh yes, the hidden... whenever I look at houses I imagine the living people behind the walls, wonder what they are doing right now. Or landscapes... how many bugs, ants, worms might be in the picture without being seen?!
Interesting thoughts in this post, Alison.

[melinda]

im hearing ya :-)
how i love the backing cloth on the print table..... ironically i tried to design prints like it but you just cant contrive it, the unplanned beauty.

[melinda]

im hearing ya :-)
how i love the backing cloth on the print table..... ironically i tried to design prints like it but you just cant contrive it, the unplanned beauty.

[melinda]

im hearing ya :-)
how i love the backing cloth on the print table..... ironically i tried to design prints like it but you just cant contrive it, the unplanned beauty.

[sarah]

I love your thoughts in this post Al, I always remember when my mother first introduced me to embroidery she told me that the underside was as important as the "right" side. More and more I am finding that these ideas are resonant in life as well as in our craft...

[Luckybeans]

Mmm. Lots to think about and enjoy.

[Di]

Wonderful thoughts and words. You've made me stop and think about the process...instead of trying to hurry and reach the end.

[martha]

Oh yes -I could go on and on about this topic...but you know that:)
This knitting underside is gorgeous. Part of it is the beautiful photograph you have taken of it and the way you have cropped it to emphasize the cable. I like that you only show us pieces of things. It's like an abstract model that one of my students might make -you can imagine all of the possibilities it might be...
For inspiration, these types of photos are the best.
Thank you.

[amisha]

i loved reading this post. those little spaces are so revealing... it's fascinating to see those that are forgotten, where the 'extra' of life gets tucked, and those (like the inside of knitting, often) where such great care is taken to make everything just so.