Isa Melsheimer Tuch (Schneeeule) / Cloth (Snow Owl), 2012
Fabric, embroidery
120 x 88 cm (47 1/4 x 34 5/8 in)
The works of the "Tuch" (Cloth) series by Isa Melsheimer consist of sheets of old curtain fabric, found and embroidered by the artist. The surface of the fabric preserves the signs of its use, such as folds, stains and faded fields of color. The embroidery added by the artist introduces a new narrative into this 'naturally' created abstracted landscape of a worn down cloth. The embroidery of Tuch (Schneeeule) / Cloth (Snow Owl) shows a naturalistic-looking motive of a snow owl on the blank surface of the fabric. The shiny threads of the embroidered image of the owl contrast with the soft opaque cloth of the curtain.
The merging of man-made and natural environments is a recurrent theme addressed by the artist's work. The "Tuch" series introduces the image of a bird onto material commonly used to separate an interior from the world and effects of nature. The curtain loses its function and is transformed itself into a poetic representation of the natural world. Both the traces of its past use on the sheet of cloth and the time-consuming labor of embroidery address the element of time and duration.
The merging of man-made and natural environments is a recurrent theme addressed by the artist's work. The "Tuch" series introduces the image of a bird onto material commonly used to separate an interior from the world and effects of nature. The curtain loses its function and is transformed itself into a poetic representation of the natural world. Both the traces of its past use on the sheet of cloth and the time-consuming labor of embroidery address the element of time and duration.