The biggest quest in one's life is to find out who they are supposed to be. It's possible for someone to spend their entire life trying to mold themselves to what society expects them to be. This intent of this piece of art is to remind readers to find themselves, to break their outer shells and allow their real personality to show. .
This is a fiber art project, with fiber being the main material source. I chose fiber because it looks like a soft pillow, non-intimidating, inviting and comforting. There were many mediums used in this project including felt embroidery floss, fabrics and stuffing for the pillow. The techniques of felt applique embroidery and batik were all used to turn the raw materials into a finished and complete piece of art. .
I believe that many people don't allow themselves to express their true selves. They're hiding underneath the shadows of society, forced to meet expectations and live by either self-imposed or societies rules. Everyone was put on this earth for a reason and every person is different with their own feelings, thoughts, likes, dislikes, and personalities. With this in mind, why does society force conformity? .
"Let me take you underneath, where the strong are weak."" (Ann Marie Montone) What does that mean? One may think that it means to rip through a strong person and expose their weakness through harm; however that is not the case. Think about feelings, thoughts, likes, dislikes, and personality. Think about image. Take yourself underneath. Take yourself underneath your friends and family. Underneath your love and lies and look at yourself. What do you see? Do you like what you see? Is it you? The creation of this piece was meant to make one think about themselves, and answer questions that no one else but themselves can.
In this piece the use of texture created a huge difference in the overall piece. By using salt to create a worn a sporadic look in the batik it helps to show the worn outside of one's soul.