blue
silk, gauze weave, China 1880-1930
blue n.
1.the pure hue of clear sky;deep azure (between green and violet in the spectrum). 2.the blue, a.the sky. b. the sea. c.the unknown;the dim distance;nowhere: out of the blue 3.Also, washing blue. a substance, an indigo, used to whiten clothes in laundering them. 4. a blue thing...
Pattern woven silk, 7th century to 10th century, China
blue is my favourite colour
Glass, coral, turquoise, China
I am working on two new bodies of work, and have been looking at a number of different things for inspiration. I find that objects inspire me as much as paintings; then sometimes words are more visual than images, and that is all I need. I find that it can take me a while to understand something, which is why I start with definitions. Against that I create my own meanings. Blue at times has been the most precious thing, it signifies more than just a colour.
Iran 1180-1220
indigo-dyed cotton, Pakistan, c.1850
Ceramic tombstone,Iran c.1270
silk, cotton, W.& C.Morley, London,c.1860
glass,gold,Mycenaean c.1400BC
cotton, William Morris,1883
silk with stitching,China,late 8th century to 9th century
Bronze, Tibet c1800
Model faience wig for a statue, Egypt c.1350-1250BC
silk, cotton, whalebone, Great Britain c.1862
cotton, Japan 19th century
images from here and here