Be Kind (6)

The Found Objects

Cas Holmes

「當所有樹木都被砍下,
當所有動物都被捕獵,
當所有水源都被污染,
當所有空氣都不能安全地呼吸,
只有這樣,您才會發現錢是不能當飯吃的。」

來自Cas Holmes《The Found Object in Textile Art》一書第一章所引述的克里預言。

這一席話,此時此刻,百般滋味⋯⋯

“When all trees have been cut down,
When all the animals have been hunted,
When all the waters are polluted,
WHEN ALL THE AIR IS UNSAFE TO BREATHE,
Only then will you discover you cannot eat money.”

A Cree prophecy quoted in the first chapter of The Found Object in Textile Art by Cas Holmes.

These words mean so much in time like this…

Be Kind (7)

作品: Be Kind

「Be Kind」(善待)為例子,這是一幅Cas Holmes捐給在地醫院的作品。「我想透過材料的運用來表達關懷,圖中戴著口罩的是我的曾祖母,她是羅姆人,在100年前的大流行病中擔任其中一位志願者。這作品正在提醒我們這些醫護服務是遠久以來寶貴的傳統,而她的眼睛看穿了時間,象徵著所有的專業精神。這件作品是由拾來的材料、手工染、人手繪畫和縫製出來的,雛菊自古以來是回憶和脆弱的象徵,一朵朵的刺繡在印花布上,包括玫瑰印花裙和薄絲巾上。」Cas娓娓道來。

In “Be Kind”, for example, a piece donated to a local hospital from Cas Holmes. “I wanted to convey the idea of care through the materials used. The image is my great grandmother, a Romani who worked as a volunteer in the last great Pandemic 100 years ago. It is a reminder that the service of healthcare is a valuable and long tradition. Her eyes gaze through time and she becomes symbolic of all of your profession. The piece is made of found materials, hand dyed, painted and stitched. Daisies are an ancient symbol of memory and fragility and are stitched and represented in the print of the cloth. Also included a rose printed summer dress and a sheer scarf.” Cas said.

作品: Red Rain Installation 

Cas憶述:「我曾經創作過一件裝置作品,把我在家中40天內用過的茶包以紅線一一懸掛在辦公室的茶點區附近的樓梯間。」

她説她經常花很多時間走路,她沒有車子,也從不間斷地為路上拾來使用的東西感到驚喜;它們都是不必要被丟棄的一部分,都是來自不但浪費而且經常導致混亂的消費主義生活。

Cas引述英國自然雕塑家安迪戈德斯沃西(Andy Goldsworthy)在回顧1990年的創作過程時說:「我在某處地方停下來或拾起物料,因為我感到當中應該有些東西將會被發掘,此處便是我可從中所學習的。」在他的發現過程中,他將材料視為時與地之間所具有的明顯聯繫。

“I once created an installation out of all the tea bags used in 40 days in my house. This was hung over a stairwell in offices near the refreshment area.” Cas recounted.

She said she spent a lot of my time walking. She doesn’t own a car, and she never ceases to be surprised at what she can find to use, as part of the unnecessary discards of our not only wasteful, but often very messy consumerist lives.

Cas shared a quote from the British sculptor, Andy Goldsworthy, which says, ‘I stop at a place or pick up material because I feel that there is something to be discovered. Here is where I can learn.’ This is Goldsworthy’s reflection on his creative process in 1990. In the process of discovery, Goldsworthy regarded the material as the distinct connection between time and place.

Pani Kekkavva Tea Kettle Wagtail (22)

作品: Pani Kekkavva Tea Kettle Wagtail

喜歡收集閃亮的小物件來裝飾自己鳥巢的喜鵲,還有烏鴉都是經常以圖騰的方式出現在Cas的作品中,「我認為它們是智慧的象徵;我就像喜鵲一樣,收集想法、物品、材料,並隨手繪製草圖。」

Cas曾經在日本留學,深受「侘寂」哲學的影響,特別留意那些經常被忽略的事物、細節、磨損的表面或在事物的瞬間變化中發現的美,也同樣奠定了她的思想基礎。加上在印度進行探索研究後,更加深了她對世界遺產淵源的了解。 

「我所有的作品都是使用回收的材料,包括布料和紙張,我使用的媒介,例如油漆或染料都可以從垃圾箱或任何可以找到的地方回收和打撈的。 我們對於照顧這個共享的世界,都變得粗心大意了。」

Magpies and crows have often featured in Cal’s work almost in a totemic way. “I see them as symbolic of intelligence. Like a magpie, I collect ideas, objects, materials and make sketches as I go.”

Cas studied in Japan which has equally laid some of the foundations of her thinking. She is influenced by the ideals of “wabi-sabi”, things often overlooked, details, worn surfaces and beauty that can be found in the transience of things. Research in India helped with a greater understanding of the roots of my heritage. 

“All of my work uses reclaimed materials including cloth and paper and much of the media I use such as paint or dye is retrieved and salvaged from bins etc wherever I can find it.  We have become careless in our care of this shared world.”

Panni Kekkavva WIP (2)

Cas更撰寫了《Found Object in Textile Art》(織物藝術中的拾得物)一書,很有系統地引導讀者由觀察身邊物件、工具的可能性、創作拾得的藝術方式,到作品以至哲學理念;由紙品到布藝以至立體塑造,像至身在旁般;隨手找來的線頭線尾、茶包咖啡漬、以至製作冰塊的模具也不會放過。

她教我們以藝術家的眼睛來看待日常生活中圍繞身邊的每一件小東西,然後以織物藝術來傳遞意義,鼓勵我們重新審視世界,利用地理或周遭情況的局限性作為豐富的資源,以更深思熟慮的的方式來創作混合媒體藝術。

「在家也像牧民般,視創作旅程為一個冒險,你的家也可以成為進行研製的地方。」

Cas even wrote a book, Found Object in Textile Art, to guide readers through the journey of exploring the objects and tools around them and creating with found objects. Her works and beliefs are discussed in the book — from paper products, textile art to three-dimensional modeling, as well as found objects such as loose thread, tea bags, coffee residue, and even ice cube mold.

She taught us to look at the everyday things around us with an artist’s eye, and that found objects can be used in textile art to convey meaning. Cas invites us to re-examine the world and use the limitations sometimes imposed by geographic area or individual circumstances as a rich resource to develop ideas for mixed media textiles in a more thoughtful way.

“Work as a nomad at home. Treat it as an adventure, your home can become a place for investigation.”

「從本質上,當你重用拾得材料把舊物轉化成新事物時,便是一種煉金術,而且使用廢棄材料(可説是便宜的)可以使藝術家有更大的自由去冒險和進行實驗。」

「我住在一個小房子裡,所以我的材料都被整齊地藏在架子上和盒子裡,這樣就可以很容易地找到它們;並不是說我的工作室整潔,在創作時也會一片混亂,但是我發現對我來說最好的做法,也是我經常傳達給學生的,就是『定期整理』。

這種節儉和組織能力遺傳自我的羅姆文化。我最好的拾獲之一是一部舊式的Bernina車衣機,我在一個鬥架(用於存放垃圾的大容器)中發現它,自修理好繞線器後,已經給我牢牢的使用了30年。不確定我的生活方式是否最低碳,但我會盡力減少對所用物品的影響。」

“At its heart, re-using found materials is a form of alchemy as you transform new things from old: Using ‘waste’ (and therefore cheap) materials allows the artist great freedom to take risks and experiment.”

“I live in a small home, so my materials are neatly stashed away on shelves and in boxes so they can be easily found. It is not to say that my studio is neat and tidy. It can be a chaos of mess when I am creating but I find the best practice for me is one I often pass onto my students and that is to ‘periodically tidy’.

This thriftiness and organsiation comes from my Romani heritage. One of my best finds was a vintage Bernina I found in a skip (large receptacle for trash) which after repair of the bobbin winder has given me solid use for 30 years. Not sure I have a minimal lifestyle but I do try and make as little impact as I can on the things I use.”

作品: Pani Kekkavva Tea Kettle Wagtail

「這是我最近期在Gypsy Maker 4 project展出的三幅一聯的作品,透過一個『水壺』的圖像和茶的舒適來反映家庭的意念;從我的曾祖父母的羅姆遺傳文化及其與古印度的連繫,都從我製作藝術品時所運用的顏色以及經過重新加工的莎麗捲布和披肩呈現出來。而印刷所採用的回收材料,例如從回收箱中拾來的油漆,因我父親會使用油漆作為他的招牌生意的一部分。」

Cas的藝術品Pani Kekkavva(水壺)Wagtail引起了大家去注意一些有關吉普賽人、羅姆人和旅行者經歷所著重的議題 —— 其中包括對回收的專注,以及他們為保護周遭世界而日益重視的含意,但也許更重要的是,家庭觀念在吉普賽人、羅姆人和旅行者生活中的中心地位 —— 家庭在羅姆語意識中的中心重要性,在於一種群體文化,而不是個人主義的強調,包括在社區中尊重羅姆長老的方式以及在社區和家庭事務中重視他們的觀點的方式,這是一種集體主義的觀念,是由羅姆群體通過共享社區責任來表達的;這些似乎是我們所有人都值得了解和反思的。 

“This piece is one of the most recent series ‘Pani Kekkavva’ , a Triptych for my recent exhibition Gypsy Maker 4 project. It reflects the idea of family through the image of the ‘kettle’ and the idea of the comfort of Tea. My Great-Grandparents Romani heritage and their ancient ties to India are represented in the colours and the reclaimed sari and shawls used in the making of the artwork. The print method employs reclaimed materials such as oil paints retrieved from a bin. My father used oil paints as part of his signwriting trade.”

Cas Holmes’ artwork Pani Kekkavva (Kettle) Wagtail brings to our attention some important issues relating to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller experience. These include a focus on recycling and its increasingly important implications in conserving the world around us but perhaps more significantly the centrality of the idea of family within Gypsy, Roma and Traveller life. The central importance of the family within the Romani consciousness foregrounds a culture of group rather than individualistic emphasis—an idea of collectivism which is expressed by Romani groups through shared community responsibility. 

This accommodation of collective responsibility is apparent in the way that Romani elders are regarded within the community and the ways in which their perspective is valued in the management of communal and family affairs. 

Stitchkit (1)

Portable Travel Kit

「我在旅行、工作和與他人互動時會繪畫和縫紉,我的思維和工作方式持續地前進,並受到與人和地方交流而衝擊和挑戰。」 

聽說Cas會隨身攜帶一個工具包,小布包是從飛機上的頭等機倉拾來的旅行隨身包。

「我會盡量攜帶最少的工具, 如果我忘記了什麼,我會即興製作。當我留意到一些例如是拾來的小物件,布和紙的碎片,我便會交換和處理一下我的資源。 把你會用的限制為最易於攜帶的,是一種很有用的創意工具;每當我外出時,我一定會帶備我的工具包。」

“When I am traveling, my way of thinking and my approach to my work is constantly in motion and being challenged by the exchanges that I experience with people and places.”

It is said that Cas always carries  with her a small tool bag. The bag is actually the amenity kit she picked up from the first-class cabin on the plane.

“I carry the bare minimum. If I forget something, I make do or improvise. I will exchange and dispose of resources – such as found objects, fragments of cloth and paper – as they catch my eye. Limiting what you use to what can easily be carried is a useful creative tool. The following items are in a small, portable kit whenever I am away.”

Improvised top Cas stitching gallery (3)

舊布料和衣物,花邊機和手縫的樣品成為了我們與過去的聯繫。

而針黹帶來了自己的故事,使我們能夠闡明思想、圖像、材料和情感的複雜過程。

我們與「日常」和「家中」的連繫,正正在提供著靈感的資源,Cas就是這樣透過靈活運用手頭上的拾得材料,創作出抒情詩般關於時間和地方的作品,她常强調

「伴著製作,意義隨來。」

Old fabrics and clothing, oddments of lace machine and hand-stitched samples, serve as a connection to our past. 

Stitch brings its own “story” with it, enabling us to articulate a complex process of ideas, images, material and emotion.

The connection to the “everyday” and “domestic” provides a wealth of inspiration that continues to inform the creative processes of Cas. Using the materials that are readily available, she manages to create lyrical works about time and space. As Cas always says, 

‘WITH MAKING COMES MEANING.’

Embroidering the Everyday cover Cas Holmes

Stitch Stories(針黹故事)Connected Cloth(連起的布)Textile Lanscape(織物景觀),期待 Cas 9月份出版的第5本著作 —— Embroidering the Everyday(刺繡日常)。

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