Left: Necklace made of nail clippings. Right: Woven hair.
Mona Hatoum seems to have an interest in using unconventional mediums such as nail clippings and strands of hair. You don’t notice it from a far until you make a closer observation of her work. It maybe weird but you start to realise the intense intricacy of her work. You start to question how she managed to connect the nail clippings through a fine thread and how she’s woven panels of hair to create a blanket size. The artist shows her dedication and resourcefulness.
The image above is an installation of suspended debris that were once part of a building. It seems as though the artist has structured the remains symmetrically like how they were once a building. This gives the artwork a sentimental value. Expressing an appreciation of its history.
The objects appear to be completely burned and that the artist reconstructed their original form with what remains. Objects that are burned to this degree are naturally destroyed to pieces; beyond recognition from what they once were. It is interesting how the artist used wire to reconstruct the remains of the burned objects. As I keep looking, the layout and the scene it represents seem important. It tells us a story. It immediately tells you that this is/was a child/children’s playroom. Judging from this piece and most of Hatoums’ work, the artist seems to be a sympathetic and a sentimental person. I’d imagine that the artist is expressing a profound loss of memory from childhood whether it be good or bad. The scenery and the formed objects used in this work depicts a significant time and place as the toys depict an older era where most were made of natural materials e.g. wood.