Hand-built Ceramic by Annie McIver
Unravelling the Threads of the Past: Genesis, Replication, Entropy.

Sewing, embroidery and woven thread have been lifelong pursuits and now carry a variety of symbolic inferences for me. The act of sewing or weaving threads can imply the genetic threads of DNA unravelling and ravelling in our dance with life. Our cultural and social threads constantly metamorphose. Our ancestral threads increase exponentially with every generation.

To continue the allegory of thread I have made a set of 3 Hares embroidering our lifecycle. This is a contemporary take on the Greek myth of the three fates. The Fates represented the cycle of life, essentially standing for birth, life, and death.They would spin (Clotho), draw out (Lachesis) and cut (Atropos) the thread of life.

I have represented our Genesis by stitching the design element of the double helix discovered by Crick and Watson laying out our unique genome.

For Replication I have chosen a section of the process of meiosis to be embroidered. A careful inspection will show the nails of the Hare amalgamating into the embroidery which is a reference to my belief that you embed yourself into the work.

The third embroidery represents Entropy and is an image of a neurofibrillary. The shape of this neuron is an indicator of the presence of Alzheimer’s disease.

The warp and weft of threads that weave or embroider the fabric of our lives, are determined by where our values have been challenged and choices demanded. They shape our world view, gathering into our individual life tapestry.

Set of 3 sold together: 63cm w x 32cm d x 33cm h