Sunday, January 13, 2008

The perception of Art


I have just asked the following questions on several tatting lists.

If you went into an art gallery to see a tatting exhibit what would you expect to see? What would you like to see? What kind of tatting exhibit would make the world at large sit up and say WOW! ?

When I was thinking about how to talk about tatting to an audience that has no pre-conceived notions about the subject, I was at a loss to think of a way of describing it to give it greater appeal to a non tatting audience. Whether you are a tatter or not, when you think of tatting you invariably think of doilies and edgings as making a size able portion of tatted objects, but those of us who are tatters know that there are other things, non traditional things you can do with tatting. I've designed a lot of 3D objects like flowers, snowflakes, and snowmen but then I thought about what I might create to showcase tatting. What would I tat if I were putting on an art show for tatting. Doilies and edgings didn't even make the list.

To be considered by the average person as "Art" it has to be out of the ordinary. That might mean something so large that it is awesome because of it's size, or something so exquisitely tiny that it boggles the mind. We don't always think of tatting as something to be framed, but entire scenes could be created in tatted lace. Unusual objects like Jane's tattysaurus or the tatted fairies done by (I think it was) Celtic, or Carol's gingerbread house or Mark's geisha are all possibilities. It's the non traditional items that make people sit up and take notice.

What kinds of tatted objects have you seen that would belong in a tatting art show? Maybe you're not a designer but you'd like to see someone make a ________ ? What would say Art to you?

2 comments:

Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane said...

I would love to see examples of the same motif done in a variety of threads, both size and color, to show the possibilities.

LadyShuttleMaker aka MadMadPotter said...

I like this line of thought. I would like to create more ART with my own tatting. I would LOVE to see a tatting art exhibit.
Thanks for giving us something to think about!