FOUNDATIONS REVEALED COMPETITION ENTRY

Divider_GoldMoth

Mask

stitch-1

SUBMITTED BY:

Elizabeth Ferguson

LINKS:

(click images to to enlarge)

Other Credits

Photographer - Clifton Stuckey

Outline the story …

“Mask” Poem by Beth Bachmann.

During our self-isolation, you send me collages
of God’s blown animals, breathed into, heated
and shaped like glass. Our skin is full of holes
for oil and sweat. When I whisper, Breathe me in,
I mean all of me—the scent of my flesh, but also me,
my god, the beginning of the fulfillment of this desire.
In a mask, you can be whoever I want you to be, king
or dog: muse comes from muzzle, to track your kill.
The plague doctors wore masks in the shape of a bird,
the beak filled with fresh clippings: juniper, rose, clove.
The mask is a type of respirator, meaning breathe again,
which is how we’ve managed to stay alive all these years.
Through the glass eyes, they could examine the body
they could not touch with their bare hands.
Breath can be both instinctive and controlled.
Matisse’s most famous cutout is “Blue Nude II,”
a woman who appears to be made of parts, but who
was scissored instead from a single sheet of paper.

Poem available at: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2020/05/14/mask-a-poem-by-beth-bachmann

Outline the construction…

Jacket and mask pieced of cabbage leftover from constructing over one thousand face masks during 2020. Jacket made from pattern pulled off of husband’s worn and patched 4XLT work shirt that has been my favorite house robe during isolation. Mask made using free pattern by Sarah April (mctreeleth.tumblr.com) Corset from a hand-drafted pattern, sewn using two layers of canvas duck and faux external bone casings. All materials are from stash.

COMMENTS

Divider_GoldMoth

22 Comments

  1. Kitty Mortensen Kitty Mortensen on March 11, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    This is beautiful, as a fellow up cycler and stash-buster this makes my heart flutter! Gorgeous work, amazing craftwork – I’m blown away

  2. Avatar Mary Jo Ernst on March 12, 2021 at 1:25 am

    So fun! Would love to see this in action !

  3. Avatar Jocelyn Lofstrom on March 12, 2021 at 3:06 am

    True art leaves us breathless and this is art.

  4. Avatar Phoenix Bade on March 12, 2021 at 5:36 am

    Love the shape and colours of the corset, stunning!

  5. Avatar Laura Wemyss on March 12, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    Such an incredibly impactful ensemble. I would never have imagined a patchwork of such colourful cottons could carry such emotion. I find this work to be a very emotionally moving piece, though I’m unsure of the reason. And your use of buckles up the front of the corset is really effective!

  6. Avatar Amanda on March 13, 2021 at 1:03 am

    This is so colorful and delightful to look at. Well done!

  7. Avatar Carly Van Groeningen on March 13, 2021 at 10:08 am

    Beautifully done!

  8. Avatar Judi Jones on March 13, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    This is absolutely brilliant and I love it. Having spent a great deal of time making masks in 2020 as well this speaks to me like nothing else has. There is so much meaning in the pieces you chose to make and your use of the fabric leftovers. Well done and truly inspired !!

  9. Avatar JAYE SUDAR on March 14, 2021 at 3:26 am

    My eyes lit up on seeing the mask. I have made a lace, beaded version myself. The entire outfit is gorgeous. Plus, what a reminder of the effort you put into mask production. Thank you for your efforts. I too made many many masks, and have the cabbage to prove it. Beautiful work. Beautiful interpretation.

  10. Avatar Heather on March 14, 2021 at 4:11 am

    This is so beautiful and inspirational. I love the balance between elegant, sinister, and whimsical. A true depiction of 2020!

  11. Avatar Carol Hughey on March 14, 2021 at 6:06 am

    What a creative and positive way to acknowledge the difficult year the world has had and make something inspiring and happy. thank you

  12. Avatar Camille on March 14, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    those colors are perfect !!

  13. Avatar Alice Markey on March 14, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    Wow – I am blown away by the colors, structure, and concept of this entry. Truly breathtaking work!

  14. Avatar Maeri Certo on March 15, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    What a great representation of this past year… wild and dissonant at times, but with flickers of beauty. Well done!

  15. Avatar Elowen on March 17, 2021 at 8:18 pm

    I love the colour and vibrancy of this piece and the eco-friendly use of your cabbage!

  16. Avatar Katie Hernandez on March 19, 2021 at 2:53 am

    Absolutely stunning! Rarely do we see someone use cabbage in a pattern so that it is seen. I love the way you have incorporated it here to not only be seen but to be the foundation draw of the piece! I tip my hat to you my fair lady!

  17. Avatar Kaity Bower on March 22, 2021 at 1:18 am

    The shape on that corset is just so beautiful! I love all of the piece work.

  18. Avatar Teri Biglands on March 22, 2021 at 1:01 pm

    So creative! I love this ❤️

  19. Avatar Kikkii von Fustian on March 26, 2021 at 11:13 pm

    I love your take on the theme, and all the thought behind it! I am especially in loooove with the rainbow colored boning channels <3

  20. Avatar Lisa M. on March 27, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    Best Advanced entry with mask, thank you. Winner, Best Mask of 2021.

  21. Avatar Stephanie Murison on March 29, 2021 at 1:10 am

    I love this! You’ve inspired me to learn to create some patchwork of my own! I adore your use of colours, and the creation of the plague mask, as well as the poem, is just so pertinent for 2020! Amazing work!

  22. Avatar Lizzie Blake on April 1, 2021 at 9:11 pm

    I love the piecing that you did for your piece!

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