Joanna Sculpture

My practice challenges the boundaries between craft and fine art, by putting a contemporary spin on thread as a material that we can view in both fine art and craft spaces. ​ I see thread as my pencil or paintbrush; exploring the versatility of thread, in ways that means it intrudes into other mediums. I push, pull and stretch the line of thread to draw. I build up layers in colour to create form, light, and shadow. I morph thread into tangible, 3D forms to push the work into the sculptural realm. My love for thread happens in the process of making. The nails are a means to an end – they merely act as anchor points for the thread. My excitement comes from building up layers of thread, to witnessing the facial features coming together, and the emotion behind those faces becoming apparent. Within my work I combine thread with other mediums, such as paint, acrylic and collage. This method of layering thread with other materials encourages my experimental and playful side. For example, when painting large brushstrokes prior to threading, I lean into the chaotic and unpredictable nature of them. This contrasts well with the threaded portraits which focus on technical ability, and are angular, refined and precise in detail. ​ The length of the nails allows the work to sit between the 2D and 3D. On initial inspection, it appears flat against the board, but as the viewer gets closer the lines of thread reveal themselves on a new plane, hovering slightly above the surface. The image is not quite 2D, not quite 3D. Occupying this space encourages me to push the work deeper into the 3D space. This is seen in works like “Joanna” and “I” and "VII"