Weird Babes Digest Zine Issue 6 - Textiles (Multi-Artist)

HANNAH SCHULTZ TEXCREMENT- A CATHARTIC BURIAL OF TEXTILE WASTE RESHAPED INTO A USABLE OBJECT I like textiles, I enjoy the process of making textiles, I have fun dressing myself in textiles, I find textiles’ rich history and cultural signifcance interesting. the amount of waste produced by textiles today is unconsciousable.

There is magic and inspiriation found in working with only dicarded/found objects.

An irresistable puzzle play and feeling of genius when epiphanies are had, and “something from nothing” is created. This was my personal finding and I wonder what yours may be.

Coinciding with TEXTILE MONTH, this September I invite you to join me at my studio to make your own TEXCREMENT // Join in on the conversation of textiles in our day to day and the waste they make. for more info DM @brittlebox on instagram

G A T H E R T E X T I L E W A S T E

1

STRING LOOM WASTE SHOE LACE CUTS OF FABRIC OLD CLOTHES BED SHEETS TOWEL ETC...

2 SEW CASING FOR TEXTILE WASTE

3 STUFF CASING WITH TEXTILE WASTE

JAMIE MAYNE I’ve been making these small cloth shapes for a while now. They are made from scraps squirreled away from my work at a San Francisco sewing workshop. Their purpose and interpretation is fluid and changes according to my whim, the viewer, or the context. The medium of sewn fabric suggests the body, clothing, ‘utility’. On the other hand they distinctly discourage physicality or utility via their painted surfaces. The paint allows the audience to engage with a more traditional painting on canvas (which technically they are). I’m interested in the tension between traditional painted canvas and simply sewn cloth residing within one small...shape.

Maybe that is the place that stems my hesitance to call these sculptures, the in-betweenness.

There is a lovable failure in the function just out of reach of these pieces. Maybe thats why I return to these shapes in between failed clothing projects. Projects that have a clear goal at the end with years of precedent for what looks ‘good’ and what looks ‘bad’.

The shapes though, will never ‘fit’ anyone well and are unapologetic about it. They are defiantly settled in their state of being...shapes? Maybe these are studies in forms that could be larger at some point. Something that can be entered and more enveloping of the audience? Maybe they will become many pieces of a larger installation. Maybe they will just be shapes that stack upon each other and fill my house until there’s no room for me or my roommates. Maybe I don’t want the shapes to have a purpose or a greater reason for being, maybe that will ruin the sanctuary I find in this light hearted creation. The shapes will solve no problems and answer no questions, they just are. Are they the question? What is an object with no inherent value, no inherent purpose, no stance. A waste of space?

A precious artifact of idle stitches and brush strokes?

A justification for scrap hoarding?

LYNN HUNTER Tight Rope is a project I’ve been exploring for about a year. I am hand-braiding ropes that have a dual function, of fashion and fetish. There is also a performative aspect with this project, as I feel a sensual connection between the action of braiding the ropes, and the performance of playing with them. To make the braids, I use a Japanese braiding loom called a marudai, which resembles a smooth wooden circular donut atop 4 dowel legs. While braiding, my hands employ a constant choreographed gesture across the frame.

As with any fiber work, there is a huge focus on controlling the tension with the material and I enjoy the dance between this tension and the restriction/release of bondage play.

It started with a design I call the Chokerope, which is a 3 foot long, flat rope that has two slit openings near its mid-point. To wear it, I place the center on the front of my neck and wrap the ends around and back to the front, placing each through the slits of the rope.

It is comfortable to wear, yet if pulled tight, allows for intense restriction. The Chokerope has a ton of versatility though I primarily use it for adornment: a choker with long ends that trail down my chest. I enjoy the private pleasure of hiding the length beneath my shirt, focusing the gaze on my neck.

Besides the Chokerope, I’ve been testing designs for other more specifically bondage items like a whip, leash, and most recently a wide belt. I am most excited by the designs that are simple and approachable. As I make kink accessible for myself through a soft style, I hope to entice others into a world of erotic exploration. — (Judith) Lynn Hunter is a queer artist & designer living in Ridgewood, NYC. She has been formally focused on fibers for over 5 years, learning through work opportunities, and largely through her own experimentation.

For her Tight Rope project, she uses her first name Judith as a way of metaphorically exploring another side of herself- a role for fetish play and discovering her true erotic power.

*Images on these two pages by Rodger Brown RodgerBrown.com

to see more: @brittlebox https://cargocollective.com/jamiemayne @judithstightrope to contact Weird Babes: caroline.partamian@gmail.com www.carolinepartamian.com Caroline Partamian is a curator, visual artist, and musician living and working in Brooklyn, NY.