So you know what I am doing in studio, and you know a bit about my slide puzzle table...but I haven't written much yet on the material exploration I have been doing as a part of my research elective. As promised, I have been working with rawhide which is a lot cooler than those dog bones would make it seem. I had some initial troubles with the online company from whom I ordered some remnants so I started working with paper to get some form and texture ideas.
I know some of you might be thinking "that just looks like wadded-up paper" but there was a method to the madness and as a starting point I thought it had potential. A few days later though the rawhide arrived and it didn't behave at all like the paper. Ranging in thickness from 1/32" to 1/8" the hides (these particular remnants are from a cow but hides are available from all sorts of animals - goats, pigs, deer, horses, buffalo, etc.) don't crinkle and bend like a piece of paper does. So I ditched the paper and just started working directly with the rawhide.
When the rawhide arrives it is hard and stiff so it has to be soaked in water for a few hours before it can be molded into shapes. Then once it dries again it holds the shape in which it dried. My goal with this project has always been to only use rawhide so I was looking for ways to put a little more strength into the material. I thought folding it like origami would layer up the material and the bends would provide a little extra strength. The remnants I had were really too small though in relation to their thickness and the material didn't really want to fold along crisp lines.
While the material was still wet I put a small drop of dye in one corner and watched the color spread along the veins and grooves of the hide. I don't quite know how I will incorporate this into a final piece but the effect is really beautiful and would be unique on each piece. My professor encouraged me to work with somehow attaching small components together to increase strength without adding an unnecessary amount of material. So below are my latest efforts...
One of the hardest things about the material is overcoming all of its visual and cultural history to create something new that transcends the material itself. I would like to make a small, sculptural ottoman/table but am trying to remain open to any good ideas the material presents.
I know some of you might be thinking "that just looks like wadded-up paper" but there was a method to the madness and as a starting point I thought it had potential. A few days later though the rawhide arrived and it didn't behave at all like the paper. Ranging in thickness from 1/32" to 1/8" the hides (these particular remnants are from a cow but hides are available from all sorts of animals - goats, pigs, deer, horses, buffalo, etc.) don't crinkle and bend like a piece of paper does. So I ditched the paper and just started working directly with the rawhide.
When the rawhide arrives it is hard and stiff so it has to be soaked in water for a few hours before it can be molded into shapes. Then once it dries again it holds the shape in which it dried. My goal with this project has always been to only use rawhide so I was looking for ways to put a little more strength into the material. I thought folding it like origami would layer up the material and the bends would provide a little extra strength. The remnants I had were really too small though in relation to their thickness and the material didn't really want to fold along crisp lines.
While the material was still wet I put a small drop of dye in one corner and watched the color spread along the veins and grooves of the hide. I don't quite know how I will incorporate this into a final piece but the effect is really beautiful and would be unique on each piece. My professor encouraged me to work with somehow attaching small components together to increase strength without adding an unnecessary amount of material. So below are my latest efforts...
One of the hardest things about the material is overcoming all of its visual and cultural history to create something new that transcends the material itself. I would like to make a small, sculptural ottoman/table but am trying to remain open to any good ideas the material presents.
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