On the  17th of January, I went to the Magdalena Abakanowicz exhibition at the Tate in London to deeper my knowledge of communication and art. I found the exhibition incredibly insightful due to the way it utilised space, allowing the viewer to walk around Abakanowicz’s textile pieces and view them from all angles.

I was particularly intrigued by her attitude to fibres and sustainability,

“I see fibre as the basic element constructing the organic world on our planet… it is from fibre that all living organisms are built, the tissue of plants, leaves and ourselves… our nerves, our genetic code, the canals of our veins, our muscles… We are fibrous structures.”

The concept that we as humans ourselves, are fibre, allows the viewer to feel significantly more connected to not only her works, but the environment, natural world and sustainability in general. The pieces shown above are titled ‘Embryology’, and have been viewed by curators as powerful imagery associated with the female form; the yonic references as well as symbols of birth through ‘nests’ and wombs elicit a strong sense of feminine identity, despite Abakanowicz not identifying as a feminist at the time of their creation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The piece above was one of my favourites from the exhibition due to the links between the natural world and the female identity. I created my own charcoal sketch of it whilst I was in the exhibition to give myself the opportunity to sit and reflect whilst surrounded by the inspiring pieces. I feel that seeing this exhibition has helped me to regain enthusiasm for my work and hopefully moving forward I will keep surrounding myself with opportunities to be creative and feel inspired. When I begin creating my FMP, a magazine, I will aim to feel connected to the natural world and ensure I undergo measures to ensure it is sustainable.