A Scrapbook of Memory is a woven retelling of the memories from my childhood scrapbook. Focused on my Great Granny’s original hand painted cards she sent to us, from across the country throughout my Childhood. This project is an ode to her creative past, a thank you to my family for their constant support and a woven story of the past.
Hand painted breakdown prints are joined across the piece by black ‘floating’ weft lines resembling an abstract written word and connecting each of the prints across the whole piece. Free machine embroidery of phrases directly from my Great Granny’s letters, guide you across the piece, as it tells its own story. Warp prints resemble the foggy memories we find it hard to retrieve, the images appear fractured through the warp. Paired with clear breakdown prints onto the finished woven cloth to represent clear and prevalent memories. These 2 stages of printing have allowed me to play with different clarity of image and memory.
My work is centred around traditional hand craft and the 3.5 metre length was woven on a George Wood dobby loom. Woven with a silk warp and linen weft using fine mock leno structures, the piece plays with light and transparency, casting shadows when in direct sunlight. I hope that when visitors view the cloth, they can feel immersed in the narrative and reflect on their own personal memories.
Megan Owen | Textiles
