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:

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 !



Comments

Anonymous said…
THANK YOU for taking the time to explain and show us via the videos how the doily piece was made, installed, etc.

What patience you had to do this! And amazing, too, that so many people from Australia/New Zealand to Europe to all over the USA pitched in to help. 'Heartwarming' does not do justice to how wonderfully touching it is. You and your work DID create a modern day community, Lisa.

IF ONLY, people could do similarly to tackle some of the challenges and problems the world is facing...but then I digress.
Sophia said…
You are such pleasure to help lisa. always and anytime.xo.
clairehelene7 said…
It looks so great, Lisa! I wish I could see it all in person.
Lizette said…
Wow Lisa, amazing, love that you are sharing your process. Wish I could see it in person.
Jan Halvarson said…
wow - what an amazing project - congrats, wished i could've made one for you...maybe one day.
oh, lisa! it is so fabulous to see the process and read about how your research led you to this installation. thank you for sharing it - i just wish i could see it in person. xo.
joannae said…
Lisa! Hooray--it is beautiful (and even more so knowing what inspired it)! Thank you for sharing so much about your creative process and for letting me be part of it. I wish I could see it in person--lovely as they are, I'm sure the photos don't quite do it justice the way being in the space would. :-)
Gracia said…
Hurrah! Hurrah! And chuffed to have played part in the olive shipment. Will email this post to Janice and my Mum post haste.

Congratulations. A great work, Lisa. XO
andrea Mckeen said…
Lisa, it's soo beautiful. The shadows cast by the doilies are so lovely and I can't stop staring at that photo. Wonderful piece. So happy to be a part of it! Congratulations :)
Aunt Theresa said…
Lisa, This is so beautiful! I just love it! I wish I was there to see it in person but thank you for sharing the pics and how you put it together. Fabulous! Amazing!
It was a pleasure and a privilege to help you out Lisa! And thank YOU for showing us [especially those of us who can't see the show in real life...] the processes and thoughts behind it all. Amazing, amazing... [from Jo]xxx
shari said…
Wow. So gorgeous. Thank you for documenting and sharing here. xo
Unknown said…
Thank you so much Lisa for letting us help you! It was my pleasure to be part of it, to know those doilies will travel around the world to reach you and finally became art!!
Hope we can do this again :)
Luna Levy said…
wow - this is so awesome, what an amazing project! Congratulations to you Lisa and everyone involved! xoxo
Laurence W said…
It's amazing what you've done with all these doilies! It's really beautiful!I'm glad to have been part of the crochet helpers !

Popular Posts