sweet violence.

I decided to go to the library yesterday and just spend some time gleaning information and inspiration for a few hours. Though I was greatly disappointed in the fact that literally every single book on historical embroidery was a reference book and not able to be checked out. Annoying right?
I was still able to see find a number of artists to feature here in my little corner of inspiration.

my father's gun collection

One such artist is Susan Graham who is quite known for her sugar porcelain guns, which appear to be crochet. Some of which I have seen in person at her previous gallery Mixed Greens.
Her guns made of delicate sugar and porcelain are meant to be a metaphor for the moment before violence. That moment which occurs in the space before it happens.



Susan states:

There is a moment before or just at the first awareness of an occurrence of violence where the brutal outcome can be known or imagined. It’s an instant of stillness, suspension, where nothing has yet happened but dread sets in. Some of the film loops, photographs, and sculptures I have made imply this quiet moment or else they imply possible violence but they never cross the line into action and so remain innocent. The lacy filigreed gun sculptures I have been making out of sugar or porcelain function in a similar way, as they lay prettily inert in their cases. These sculptures also embody a basic ambivalence toward guns that is particularly American, though not specific to America.

Vessel for Safekeeping-Scissors

Susan has an excellent and very thorough statement on her website if you would like to read more.

Detail from Beautiful Ohio

Being from Ohio, and an alumni from the same undergraduate school as Susan, I loved and relate to her piece Beautiful Ohio. Transferring her technique to Miniature traffic. Ohio being aplace many people drive through but few people stop to get to know.






She has created a number of other lovely works dealing with issues such as insomnia amongst other things.

You can see more of Susan's work along with her pinhole photographs, installations, and films at her website here.