Beauty in the Stereotypical Grossness

So for my intro to Fibers class we have to have a theme for the two "sets" of techniques we have learned. The theme of my Sample Set I is "Finding Beauty in the Stereotypical Grossness." This theme came to me through a process in which I started out with nature versus mankind focusing on destruction. After some research and brainstorming the grossness came to me. I realize the truth in the phrase "to each, his own," and that not everyone will find the same aesthetic beauty in everything. But, although there is no set list of what is beautiful and what is not, I believe there is a kind of non-formal collective agreement on some things. For example, it's hard to find a person who doesn't find some level of cuteness in a fluffy baby kitten with large blue eyes or beauty in a vibrant sunset; just like guts, gore, and dead things evoke a sense of repulsion i.e. grossness. I believe if we are able to take the label of the image or object that we are looking at we will be able to discover something more about what it is we are seeing. For example, instead of looking at a picture of a tangled bundle of intestines and immediately turning your head in disgust, try to block out that recognition of the object as intestines and instead look at it non-objectively. Think about it as only colors and values that make up shapes and textures in the composition. Then instead of being repulsed, maybe you will become intrigued. You may see something, discover something, and definitely experience something that you wouldn't have had you kept those labels that carry all of those negative connotations. This then may open a new door to inspirations and ideas relating to color, value, texture, proportion, composition; all of those great elements and principles of design. Plus it opens a door to new comparisons. That dissected kidney kind of looks like caramelized candy and the advanced stages of that disease makes the skin look like an old tree or an atomic bomb. Also, even if you are not in a creative profession, this idea of looking at things without labels is still beneficial. I think it can show people that there can be something at least minutely "good" (or at least worth giving it a second view with a different perspective) in most things. It helps keep up the optimism levels.

Dyed silk bamboo, Spun (plied) yarn , Felting, Hand piecing, and Knitting





This is my felt sample. It's a placenta :D :D :D :D :D







..with an extremely long umbilical chord. :D