Friday 7 August 2009

the woman inside the machine

i found this old art college book buried under a mountain of sketchbooks. we had a project where we had to take an object and dismantle it.
i chose a typewriter


when i took the cartridge inside it to pieces and read the tape (backwards)


i realised there was a woman in the machine.


her cv and letters etc were on that tape. it seemed like the typewriter was her tomb.


i felt a bit voyeuristic but it was in the name of art and if people can chop up sharks then it must be ok to read someones accidental memoirs..........


it's funny where we leave traces.


i have three more typewriters......



if you are at a loose end this weekend.. i thoroughly recommend smashing something up to see what's inside

this reminds me of another textiles project i did. where we had to deconstruct something to find inspiration


i'll show you that another day when i have ventured deep enough into the landslide of abandoned and unfinished art projects to find it!


24 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is fabulous and so insightful - what a wonderful journey uncovering the woman lost inside!

ArtSparker said...

The ghost in the Machine.

Leslie Avon Miller said...

I *love* these images! Beautiful work here with the cast offs of a previous era.

3rdEyeMuse said...

I thought the same ... the ghost in the machine. thanks for a great assignment for my critter ... we can both sink our teeth into this one.

Debrina said...

This is such a cool posting!! I love the artwork - stunning stuff. I know you dug this up, but I'm envious of you - you came up with the coolest way to explore a theme and make great art out of it...!

Lucky Dip Lisa said...

What an amazing revelation. I probably would have felt like a snoop too...but in the name of art I could cope with that! lol

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

You have inspired me to find the hidden, the lost, the messages that can now be freed. Although I don't have a typewriter ribbon, I hope to destroy something this weekend in honor of your prompting. You have certainly inspired me!!

Rosemoo said...

Love this post!!!! :D

Kim Palmer said...

This looks like fun. Love deconstructing things! Obviously this worked and you found your inspiration from the lost type and the story this tells. Great little sketches too!

Poetic Artist said...

This is very interesting. The journey can be found in alot of places.

Anonymous said...

Ohhh this is a treasure of an idea!! well done, Kate!

Curio said...

I love the way you've chosen to present the project. As for the forgotten words you found on the tape...Proof that even with old technology, there was traces left behind.

Jeane Myers said...

Kate, this is just fabulous!

Nicola said...

oh my goodness, i loved this post!
simply amazing!!!
:)

Anne said...

Very interesting project and story! :-)

lynne h said...

i love all of these images, kate. so beautiful... haunting...

you've got me thinking about taking stuff apart. there are *so many* things one can do!

sigh...

xo

gerfiles said...

Ha, that´s a kind of archeology, too... I miss typewriters, wish I´d kept them...

Ian MacLeod said...

beautiful work.

Anonymous said...

what a cool experiemnt, sort of typewriter archaeology. I grew up adoring typewriters...why I'll never know, but I heaord them even today

mansuetude said...

the best thinking post... a ghost of what is written-- i have an old type ribbon from an unknown... in a box.have to seek.



love this, laughed ...."...if you are at a loose end this weekend.. i thoroughly recommend smashing something up to see what's inside. " Hopefully it is an in animate object! LOL.
.

Chris said...

This is so fascinating. Thanks for sharing this.

artfulzebra said...

I swear I commented on this post but apparently not! Very inspiring! I want to dismantle something now, anything! I rather fancy a piano...

HeARTworks said...

Very interesting! Love your pictures, and also the works in progress!

india flint said...

thanks for leaving a trail for me to follow