Title: Returning Home
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Inspiration:Hmong Batik Artifact:
Hmong Batik is done mainly by Hmong Leeg and the Hmong Green dialects, which is wax on cloth, then dyed with indigo. Using a tjanting tool and wax to create positive space from the negative background. With the designs created symbolizing the traditional writing system of the Hmong, and symbolizes different meanings in Hmong life, such as marriage, farming, and the Hmong homeland. After the cloth is dyed, it creates the contrast from the white, undyed fabric, with the indigo dyed fabric to reveal Hmong symbols. However, due to western influences, batik is used to create stories through cloth, and depict the Hmong life in the mountains farming, or animals to sell. This is because the symbols are hard to decipher and doesn't have any meaning to people buying it, and had gained more profit from having pictures depicted. From this, I want to include creating a picture of being at peace with my own identity, and able to come home knowing I am enough for myself, and that I don't have to fit into one stereotype. |
These symbols are commonly found in the Hmong dresses, with dots and lines commonly used to contrast from the thick long lines that are left to dye. With the individual symbols varying to create contrast, of long lines, dot patterns, and x shapes. Within the dress symbolizes bridal status, and more intricate designs are valued more. In my piece, I want to implement these designs to create contrast from the indigo dyed fabric, as well as symbolize home and the Hmong homeland and origins I come from. In addition, showcase my own identity of being content with it, and able to remember who I am and how it shaped me.
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Planning:
Firstly, I created a sketch of the different designed I wanted to incorporate. In the boarder, I included the Hmong clam design to showcase where my family came from, which is the Moos Pheeb region of Laos, where the design is commonly used. Additionally, to symbolize my own personal connection of returning home. With the triangular shapes, used in the traditional Hmong dresses from this region, and showcases the landscape and mountains that the Hmong have lived in. Moreover, keeping the color indigo of the batik and bias tape red, to symbolize home because the colors are used in the traditional wear, and I wanted to represent those colors. Also, I wanted the main figures in the center of the piece to be more prominent, which I did by leaving the rest of the background empty to give contrast and emphasis.
Process:
Firstly, I sketched on fabric my piece, using a needle to guide the straight lines, and creating a diagonal to make the piece a square. Repeating this process till I got the main lines to fill in with the designs. Then I sketched into the piece the designed I wanted to incorporated and left the center blank. Repeating the designs by 14 times on each side to make the boarder even. After the sketch I went in with a hot glue gun and traced over the designs. Having longer, thick strokes to make the lines show up with more contrast after dyeing the fabric. Doing this over the longer lines, to create the frames to easier based off the other details from. Then, I filled in these lines, and cleaning any excess glue that was left on the piece. Afterwards, I filled in the rest of the designs, starting with the center to let the glue dry in the boarder because the designs are more intricate, and to not mix the lines up.
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Afterwards, I cleaned up the designs, flicking the glue fast to stop the glue from coming in large clumps that may change the outcome of the dyeing process. In addition, going back in the smaller lines to ensure that the batik would dye correctly. Afterwards, I drew in more of the designs, and added more lines varied textures, and dots to contrast from the longer lines. Also, adding the glue for the moos pheeb design in 4 strokes of the outline, then the diagonal lines in the center and boarder, and lastly, adding line in the center to add contrast.
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I left the glue to dry for a day to integrate it with the fabric material, and dyed it. Leaving it in the indigo dye to give a richer color and contrast to symbolize home in my piece. Stirring the fabric around part of the time to get the dye to bleed into the fabric evenly. Then, I left the fabric to dye in the solution for a day, and cleaned excess dye off the fabric, The glue was still on the fabric, which I boiled off in water to get the glue off, then dried the fabric. I later ironed the fabric to have a smoother texture, and added stabilizer to make it easier to sew on. Putting on a red bias tape to protect the fabric from fraying.
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Firstly, I measured a strip of red fabric to 6 inches, cutting the strip out till 64 inches, and cutting the design out. I later folded the edges into the center, having 4 sections of 1.5 inches each. Ironing the center to give a crisp line to work with, and tucking the fabric inside to give a cleaner edge when sewing on. I pinned down the red bias tape on the edge of the batik, making sure it was pinned down. When I got to the boarder, I folded the fabric into two triangular shapes, then folding the front fold, opposite direction of the back fold. Pinning the corners, in then sewing it in place. This is because I wanted to incinerate the Hmong dress from the region I'm from into the piece to symbolize my own identity and how I am coming to terms with myself. Lastly, Ironing the piece together after sewing it all down.
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Experimentation:
I experimented using wax at first on another cloth, finding that the tools I have made the wax cool faster, which prevented the wax from staining the fabric to add the contrast needed to see the symbols. Repeating this with hot glue, with the designs more visible, and easier to replicate from having a more stable temperature when applied. In addition, different thickness of the glue, with more glue showing up more after dyeing. This allowed me to have contrast in the piece of having some parts with thicker lines. Moreover, blending the glue into the fabric and letting it stain the fabric helped with the smaller lines, because the fabric, when dyed, the smaller lines showed up compare to those lines that were applied with less pressure. Also, allowed from more contrast and emphasis of having a highly textured area to a blank space on the piece.
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Also, With the wax, the residue left a black stain from the previous pencil marks in a fabric I tried dyed before my piece. With this I saw that the wax, didn't keep the dye away as much, and made it harder to draw it on the dots, which left to a more blurred affect that I didn't want. I retried with hot glue, with the results showing clearer, and without any of the initial sketching still dyed into the fabric. Moreover, allowed me to control my own lines easier than having to wait till the wax dries to complete the more intricate dot designs or other patterns in the piece.
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Reflection:
Overall, if I was to do this project again, I would learn the process of using wax, and finding ways to make the wax integrated into the cloth, because in the outcome the designs didn't show up as clear as I would like. Moreover, add more pressure on with the glue so that the thinner lines would of shown up on the piece. Additionally, add more dye to the piece, and not wash it as often because of the glue not coming off of the fabric. Things I enjoyed about this project is learning how to use different materials and experimenting with cloth to create an image. Additionally, how contrast can be created by textures in the piece, and using contrast of high texture and low texture in the center to give emphasis. Lastly, I would of redone the red boarder differently, measuring each side before measuring than just sewing on the boarder, or cutting off the edges to make it easier to sew on.
Compare & Contrast:
Differences:
In the Hmong batik artifact, it contains many figures and Hmong life to symbolize the way the Hmong have lived in the past, however, in Returning Home, contains one main figure to express identity, and the ability to return home. Additionally, uses darker dye and black dye to add contrast from the white outlines to give emphasis, however, in Returning home uses indigo dye because of being showcased in the Hmong skirts, go give the identity of Hmong, and returning back to one's own roots. In the batik artifact, the boarder of Hmong designs are incorporated to showcase Hmong life and planting, however, in Returning Home uses the boarder to resemble home of the designs specific to identity of one's origin. Lastly, the Hmong batik artifact contains a blue and white boarder, because the colors symbolize Hmong mountains and the life in the past. This contrasts from Returning home, using red to symbolize confidence, as well as identity and origin of the Hmong culture from the color used in the skirts. |
Similarities:
Hmong Batik artifact, and Returning Home both uses Hmong designs to showcase the Hmong identity and a sense of home. Both uses the Hmong designs to contrast from the main story and tapestry of the figures in the batik, to give emphasis to the story of what home is. Moreover, both uses varied textures of dots, and long strokes of lines that are thicker or thinner to add contrast between each figure. Both have the cultural change of having American and western influence to showcase a story within the piece, and to show identity of the Hmong. Lastly, Returning Home and the Hmong Batik artifact both uses the positive space, to add emphasis to what the story is trying to convey in the piece. |
ACT Questions:
1) Clearly explain and describe how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
The cause effect relationship between my inspiration and it's effect on my artwork is the use of texture, symbols, and color between my inspiration and piece. With my artwork using texture and symbols to mean coming home, and being at peace with oneself.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach regarding the author and topic of my inspiration is how texture and symbols can affect how a piece can add meaning, and create contrast to emphasize on a figure.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations I've made was the use of the batik symbols each having its own meaning and symbols of the moos pheeb region because it was commonly used in it. Moreover, conclusions of batik having origins of home and the journey that the Hmong had made because these symbols represents the life of a Hmong person, and symbols of religious use.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspirational research was use of symbols, contrast, and the texture involve inspired my research to showcase the feeling of being at peace with one's identity, finding what symbols relate to home and my own identity.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Conclusions made while reading my research was the use of contrast of the textured boarder to the main foreground to give emphasis in the main foreground because of the batik mostly done to embellish parts of the story cloth than having symbols within the center..
The cause effect relationship between my inspiration and it's effect on my artwork is the use of texture, symbols, and color between my inspiration and piece. With my artwork using texture and symbols to mean coming home, and being at peace with oneself.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach regarding the author and topic of my inspiration is how texture and symbols can affect how a piece can add meaning, and create contrast to emphasize on a figure.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations I've made was the use of the batik symbols each having its own meaning and symbols of the moos pheeb region because it was commonly used in it. Moreover, conclusions of batik having origins of home and the journey that the Hmong had made because these symbols represents the life of a Hmong person, and symbols of religious use.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspirational research was use of symbols, contrast, and the texture involve inspired my research to showcase the feeling of being at peace with one's identity, finding what symbols relate to home and my own identity.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Conclusions made while reading my research was the use of contrast of the textured boarder to the main foreground to give emphasis in the main foreground because of the batik mostly done to embellish parts of the story cloth than having symbols within the center..
Bibliography:
Nou. “Black Hmong.” The Art of Hmong Embroidery, 9 Aug. 2015, https://theartofhmongembroidery.wordpress.com/category/hmong-skirts/black-hmong/.
“Paj Ntaub or Story Cloth.” Batik, https://hmongembroidery.org/batik.html.
“Paj Ntaub or Story Cloth.” Batik, https://hmongembroidery.org/batik.html.