This thesis examines lace as a metaphor in contemporary art, comprising a practice-led inquiry based on the lace archive of Nottingham Trent University. Lace is placed in the context of creative art practice to establish an overview and understanding of the multifarious associations used to articulate ideas and concepts. This study explores the integration of lace themes into my current art practice while adopting methods of research that reflect on and challenge the tacit knowledge already present in my creative process. An action research methodology is implemented, introducing reflective activities to question my concept development and instigate change. Case studies are used to gain a deeper understanding of how and why the application of lace themes and metaphors are present in contemporary art. The research process has a cyclical form in that my art practice is a case study that informs and enriches my creative process. A theoretical inquiry is established, contributing to a philosophical framework built around ideas that encompass lace and the body, addressing the reappropriation from a fabric that once signified only wealth and status to a material that now adds a sexual charge to garments through the relationship it has with skin. The theoretical and metaphorical understanding of lace gained as part of this inquiry is clearly defined through the documented conception and manufacture of a new body of artwork, demonstrating the transformation of my practice through academic research. Artworks were developed that explored the emotive space between historical lace pattern and the surface of the skin with an aim to translate the ambiguity of lace while reflecting multiple layers of opposing themes. The artworks produced were displayed in a solo show entitled Lacuna in February 2012 at the Bonington Gallery, Nottingham Trent University.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:629291 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Buttress, J. |
| Publisher | Nottingham Trent University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/350/ |
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