Abstract

This article investigates textiles as translation and tribute through the work of artist Ellen Lesperance. Focusing on her body of work about the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, exploring themes of activism, feminism and knitting. Drawing from photographs and archival footage, Lesperance faithfully recreates the patterns, symbols and colors of knitwear worn by women in the camp through intricate, gridded paintings. The knitwear was worn by the protesters to display messages of intent and affiliation to a political cause. Clothing is often used as a communication of protest, but these distinctive jumpers were each handmade incorporating hours of labor, love, and wear by the women in the camp. Lesperance’s detailed knitting patterns can be seen as figurative paintings honoring the female activists who made and wore the original pieces. This article examines how textiles can express ideology and lived experience and draws on my current research into how we can use the past to inform design for the future. It explores archival research, reinterpretation, and recreation as a method to invoke the original.

摘要

本文通过艺术家 Ellen Lesperance 的作品将纺织品作为翻译和致敬进行调查。专注于她关于 Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp 的作品，探索激进主义、女权主义和编织的主题。Lesperance 从照片和档案录像中汲取灵感，通过错综复杂的网格画忠实地再现了营地中妇女所穿针织品的图案、符号和颜色。抗议者穿着针织衫来展示其意图和与政治事业的联系。服装通常被用作表达抗议的方式，但这些独特的套头衫都是手工制作的，融合了营地妇女的劳动、爱心和穿着。Lesperance 细致的针织图案可以看作是象征性的绘画，以纪念制作和穿着原创作品的女性活动家。本文探讨了纺织品如何表达意识形态和生活经验，并借鉴了我目前对我们如何利用过去为未来的设计提供信息的研究。它探索档案研究、重新解释和重新创造作为调用原作的方法。