PORTALS
During the outdoor drawing workshop in Rawicz, I had to face the topic of the WALL. What was my wall then? Going out into the public space with my own art. I didn’t have enough courage to look people straight in the eye, so I walked the streets looking down at my feet… This is how the MANHOLES project came about, which initiated a series of drawings/frottages. However, a person cannot sit in one place for too long. So the idea was born to collect manholes from other places I would visit. From some places I have several different frottages, from others only single drawings. The series grew. Up until now, I presented MANHOLES in the form of an art book. After I went abroad, a lot changed.
LET’S LOOK WITH OUR HANDS
People have moved away from nature and humanity. But beauty and goodness can be found everywhere, you just have to look around. Just look under your feet. You just need to reach the point of contact.
I was crouching over something it was invisible to others. I intentionally made a frottage of the manhole cover. I got an imprint of civilization. I took it with me, as I have done from many other places. I have already trodden many paths to manholes. After many years, a new need to look into them arose. That’s why I started embroidering them.
Direct, conscious touch. Artist’s hands.
Unconscious, indirect touch. Trampled by passers-by. Sensual/textural/structural touch perceived by audience.
Creativity that touches the audience.
Sometimes you just need to open your eyes to touch the world.
When I showed my friend the first embroidered manhole, she said that for her they were like portals that disenchant and transport to another place.
And that’s what I decided to call this whole manholes project.
