M101 Galaxy
Embroidered Masks (2017)
The M101 Galaxy as seen through two telescopes; the first viewing only the X-ray waves of the electromagnetic spectrum and the second, only the Ultraviolet waves. The data collected from the telescopes is expressed in code until put through a program translating it into an image. This is in b&w until a colored filter is applied to the image. The creator can assign a different color to each wavelength so that when layered on top of each other, you can identify what might be shown in one image and not the others. For example, the X-ray telescope might show clouds of radiation filling what first appeared to be 'empty space'. I took the images I created and embroidered them on black tool fabric and made them into masks. I then made 'uniforms' to accompany them; plain black to not distract from the masks. It was important to me that my embroidery went over the face so that the wearer was the galaxy, not just wearing it. The wearers were then supposed to be connected at the arm because they were the space, not simply in it. I want to create my own plane of existence (if that makes sense?). Like, one dot in the middle of nothing is not positioned on a plane until another dot is drawn. My pieces only exist in relation to one another because they create the space that they represent. The full series is four pieces long.
