"Loss", by Claire Crocker

The work of textile art entitled "Loss", above, captured our attention from the moment we saw it. The visual and emotional impact of the artwork is immediate, and it conveys a sense of poignancy commensurate with its name. Claire Crocker confirms that the piece was inspired by the experience of bereavement: "I wanted to capture the sense of being folded in on your self when you are very sad."

The red fabrics are hand-dyed and hand-painted. A special technique called furrowing was used to create the deep texture (please click on the image to bring up a larger view, showing the precise furrowing and other details). We were astonished to learn that this powerful piece measures only 24 x 34cm - about 9 x 13 inches, or the size of an A4 piece of paper. Regardless of size, the method takes a huge amount of fabric, which is manipulated, folded and stitched.

Claire explains that she has had a life-long fascination with sheen and luster. After this piece, she has gone on to explore further the wonderful effects that can be achieved with this technique on shot silk.

Claire Crocker lives and works in the UK. To read about Claire and her work, visit her web page at ColourFx Textile Art.

Image credit and links: The image is shown with permission of the artist. Claire also referred us to Colette Wolff's masterwork 'The Art of Manipulating Fabric' for additional information.