LACE ARTISTS

Agnes Herczeg 

Herczeg is a Hungarian artist I came across on pinterest who creates small scale artworks using natural threads such as linen and hemp, differing in thickness and techniques. He mainly uses needle lace technique combined with pillow lace and braiding work. These pieces are hung from / attached to sticks which combines well with the beige and brown colours of the thread and the fact that these threads come from plants.

The tiny detail in these works are what draws me to them the most. They are small complex designs which look time consuming and delicate. I appreciate the effort that goes into creating these designs and i love the way the stick is connected to the art in such a smooth way. For example, the woman on the right in the bottom picture looks as though she is leaning on a table, and the left image the hair is tied up in a bun around the stick, almost like a hair accessory. The placement of the stick and the way its blended into the imagery really adds to it.

Another thing I like about these pieces is the way the space in-between each thread creates shading and depth. It creates intricate curves and shapes with patterns within it. Id love to see the shadows these pieces would create if a light were infont of them.

Agnes Herczegs' work inspired me to look at wire works and create designs that could be created with similar materials.

Nespoon Cloak Blank Facades 

Lieve Jerger - Carriage of Lost Love

This piece is from an exhibition in the US called Lace Not Lace, featuring contemporary fibre art using lace making techniques. When I originally went to see the lace work in Newstead Abby they mentioned lace curtains and the way the light would pass through them to create patterns on the floor. This is something that inspired me to look more into images produced by light. I couldn't find many lace shadow images, but I did come across this piece which is a cart made out of wire, using lace techniques, with hidden images/patterns in the windows and wheels of the cart. 

Not only is the imagery created by the shadows beautiful, the glow on the copper wire from the lights and the organised and technical threading techniques used to create it are beautiful too. The leaves hanging in the centre of the sides of the cart are a small detail that I didnt originally notice too, but its a nice touch.

This piece was made to highlight the way in which lace makers are expanding the traditional boundaries of their art to create new work which investigates more contemporary themes, forms and materials.