the making of sen :: part 2 - the 1000 doilies

as the 100 colors of thread went out in the world I kept thinking about how to install 1000 doilies. 

what order? what shape [rectangle? square? round?] ? light to dark? by hue? by saturation? by value? oy. it made my head spin. so i thought i should make a drawing. to figure it out. 

i had a book with little snippets of every color that i had. i matched all the colors and made a drawing. i decided for ease i'd try rainbow order [sort of] from light to dark - ending in neutrals and black. 

so first i stamped the colors 10 times [to mimic the doilies]. i also knew i wanted the doilies to attach to their thread balls. so then i embroidered the 10th circle with it's matching thread... and had it dangle to the ground. 

all the threads

satisfied that was actually going to be the order... when all 1000 were here and ready to install i set them up in the proper order. 

here's a little time lapse of this area as the days went on:

i also set up my grid - some modified plastic fencing. and then we went to work. 

1000 doilies :: 8000 pins :: 100 colors of thread :: me + approx 45 women all over the world crocheted the doilies :: me + 6 helpers installed the doilies :: 4 days :: 1 wall :: 1 art piece for "sen" at Fouladi Projects.

here's a time lapse of install of the piece:

and here's the piece:

i joke that it's not Art until the thread balls get attached. i don't know why exactly activating the floor and attaching the doilies to the thread just gives it that push that it needs. but it does. it really does.

 

each doily is about 2.5-3 inches in size. and when i think about all the love and help i had to make this piece a reality i get teary eyed. seriously. this piece itself so embodies the idea of collectively generating luck and hope [like the senninbari] in a way that i could never have anticipated. 

i have never worked with so many people simultaneously before and while there were moments of panic mostly i was simply amazed. amazed that people wanted to be a part. amazed that they would perform this pretty boring task for me for nothing more than a small piece of art as thanks. it was so beautifully communal in the best possible way. and i made some new lovely friends [as well as deepened some existing friendships] i am forever indebted to these people !!  so without further ado

MY HELPERS !!

INSTALLATION HELPERS

The 1000 doily installation would not have made it onto the walls without the generous assistance of these fantastic people:

- Connie Begg 

- Jordan Bickett or @photobickett on Instagram - 

- Sydney Cohen  or @igetalotofwhatidodone on Instagram- 

- Bob Lake @bxlx on Instagram

- Sonya Phillip or @sonyaphillip on Instagram

- Stephanie Ritten or @stephanieritten on Instagram

- Sophia Szeto  or @steadyhand1 on Instagram

CROCHET HELPERS

The 1000 doily installation could not have happened without the generous support of these women from around the world. THANK YOU all so much !!! [and if i don't have a link for you and you'd like to provide one, please do]

My mother: Chihoko Solomon, Oakland, CA

- Ellie Beck, Australia - or @petalplum on Instagram

- Remie Bontrager, San Jose, CA

- Magali Catteau, France

- Amelia de Bie, Australia

- Jacqui Dodds, England

- Maitreya Dunham, Seattle, WA

- Lisa Duran, Elizabeth, CO - or @sparrowsandsuch on Instagram

- Tanya Edgar, Victoria BC CANADA

- Joanna Ehrhard, Switzerland

- Regina Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA - or @ladydlinoleum on Instagram

- Susan Chosy Greblo, Madison, WI

- Esther Hall, Columbus, OH - or @torn_angel on Instagram
- Erin Harris, Louisville, KY - or @houseonhillroad on Instagram
- Christine Haynes, Rancho Santa Marguarita, CA
- Nicole Hirshau, Australia

- Ailee John, Oakland, CA - or @ageofindigo on Instagram

- Diana Jones, Australia - or @clementineshoes on Instagram

- Catherine Lewin, Belgium - or @petitepimprenelle on Instagram

- Jennifer Lovelace, Reston, VA

- Joy Madison, Renton, WA @joymadison on Instagram

- Andrea McKeen, North Easton, MA

- Cynthia Monaghan, Baltimore, MD - or @elf_girl on Instagram

- Theresa Montague, Gillette, WY

- Janise Munro and Elaine Haby, Australia or @pasadenamansions on Instagram,  c/o Gracia and Lousie - or @gracialouise on Instagram

- Morgan Anne Munson, Sweden

- Boni Nesbitt, Canada

- Tatiana Nevarko, Canada

- Heather Robinson, San Francisco, CA

- Jesse Lu Schrier, Albuquerque, NM

- Grace Sharp, New Zealand - or @chainofdaisies on Instagram

- Melissa Marcin Sheets, Portland, - or @melmelmelmelmelmel on Instagram

- Marie Stanley, Gainesville, FL

- Blair Stoker, Seattle, WA - or @blairs on Instagram

- Kate Ulman, Australia - or @foxlane on Instagram

- Linda Vaughn, Oakland, CA

- Francesca Vitali, Rochester, NY

- Laurence Weus, France

- Le Wei, San Francisco, CA

- Jo Woolmer, UK

- Carol Yingst, TX

- Tine Zielinski, Denmark

i thank everyone of you from the bottom of my heart. who knew that i could actually pull this off... and there is no way i could have without all of your help. 

THANK YOU. i am working on thank yous to send you all. please be patient. 

the exhibition is up through December 21st at Fouladi Projects. if you are in the Bay Area, i hope you can see it !