Textum series. 2023

Textum.

Series size: 225 x 40 x 3 cms, composed by five pieces of 30 x 40 x 3 cms and a single piece that measures 50 x 40 x 3 cms.

Technique: Nuno felting/ embroidery

Materials: Natural merino wool, corriedale wool, silks (pongee,crepe, organza, threads and strans) velvet, cotton, bandages, embroidery thread, metallic thread

«He who writes, weaves. Text comes from the Latin «textum», which means weaving. With threads of words we say, with threads of time we live. Texts are like us: textiles that walk».

Eduardo Galeano. Recital at the Teatro Galpón. Montevideo, Uruguay, 1999.

In the «Textum» proposal, free interpretations of popular proverbs are woven in textile. Proverbs can be understood as «A sharp and sententious saying of common use» (DRALE, digital edition 2021) or «A concise affirmation, of popular use, which, in general, expresses the beliefs and ideas from a community… « (DRALE, digital edition 2021) or even as «popular wisdom: the philosophy of the people» (Refranero: Refranes y expresiones populares, 2017).

This proposal reflects on memory and language as living matter, as an immaterial element that intertwines, that weaves, highlighting the importance of the unwritten language transmitted culturally from generation to generation, adapting to changes. Likewise, the memory of those jobs linked to nature and to the memory of humanity, which today are considered past, marginal and even on the verge of extinction (such as shepherding or sewing, for example) that have almost been buried by the omnipresence of technology, and like some proverbs, have not been able to adapt to the times… but are an inherent part of our culture, is vindicated.

Like the most perfect of houses in the animal kingdom, the wool has been arranged to resemble the ordered structure of a honeycomb, which in appearance will be homogeneous and matt, but when we get closer and observe in detail, we find a weave with contrasts of full and empty spaces, with silk details that add shine, with textured reliefs?
The light, as it falls on the textile, will give it greater liveliness and contrast.

On an undyed natural wool textile as a background, contrasting black spots have been placed, of wool but also of richer materials (such as silk or velvet, for example) of different tones, texture and thickness, spots that question this proverb, which pejoratively indicates that «even in the best families» there can be «a black sheep», an idiom that describes a different, unrespectable and despicable member of a group, especially within a family. The term is usually associated with negative aspects, such as rebelliousness.
This association stems from the unwanted and uncommon presence of black wool sheep in the flocks, which was not conducive to the shepherd, as the wool of such sheep was not valued in the market (black wool cannot be dyed).
In this piece, the difference will be highlighted as something positive, giving the «black» stain greater richness in the textiles, contrasts and textures.

Sheep (not only the piece destined for meat, but also the wool) was a very precious resource, whose exploitation was useful for different purposes and it was the shepherd’s task to look after it and make the most of it. Today, the painstaking and laborious task of obtaining wool, after shearing, cleaning, carding, combing, spinning and subsequent weaving and tailoring – with the appearance of other artificial or higher performance textiles – and the fact that the work of shepherding is not very grateful, wool is not considered gold… but shouldn’t it be?

According to Luis Junceda’s Diccionario de Refranes, this saying states that «with relative frequency, credit is attributed to those who do not deserve it».  It also refers to the fact that some people are blamed for something negative when in reality others do just as much or more. In this case, it is not that justice is not done in terms of financial reward, but rather in terms of morale. It is said with a certain irony. This saying is still very contemporary.
The piece is made on a felt base and abstractly depicts a large gold coin.

This piece, larger than the others from this series, serves as a contrast between the previous pieces and the next one. It shows us that continuity and perseverance – albeit slowly – make the objectives attainable and profitable. It also refers to experience, to the time needed to acquire mastery.

As it was once an expensive material, it was double-needled «because it doesn’t break,» explains Correas, «and you can straighten it and excuse him for buying another» according to Luis Junceda’s Diccionario de refranes (Dictionary of sayings).
Ingenuity that is used when one is short of resources and this is what inventiveness does, to put the double needle…in this piece several recycled materials from other test pieces and from the author’s clothes have been used.