Artist Gabriel Dawe believes that we can never have too many rainbows in our lives – and to that end, he is creating them … out of thread!
(Since, as typical for my “Friday Fun” posts, it’s graphic-heavy, I had hoped to start using slideshows to take up less real estate – but that feature was just added yesterday and the learning curve is steeper than I had hoped. Sorry. The photos from hereon will be medium-sized, but you can click on them to view full-sized. Unfortunately they can’t be formatted to open in a separate window just by clicking – but you can do that with a right-click and select “Open in New Tab”, or a scroll-wheel click if your mouse is programmed for that. And I would strongly encourage you to open them to full-size to appreciate their impact.)
Dawe explains that his rainbow art is a rebellion against his machismo upbringing in Mexico City. His mother was the first, and only, woman in his family to ever have a job outside their home. As a consequence, his maternal grandmother largely raised Gabriel and his sister. But while grandma was happy to teach his sister embroidery, and despite his strong desire to also learn, she refused because it ran counter to Mexican machismo gender traditions.
Fortunately that only steeled his resolve to learn – so maybe paradoxically we have Grandma to thank.
Dawe has numerically titled his rainbow creations “Plexus” – which is an intricate network of nerves or blood vessels. He explains he chose the term “Plexus” because “it refers to the connection of the body with its environment, but it also relates directly to the intricate network of threads forming the installation itself, and to the inherent tension in the thread, vibrating with an almost tangible luminosity.”
And although the main impetus to his rainbow creations was to challenge the gender stereotypes he had to deal with as a youth, he says they are not intended to be a political statement in support of equality for the LGBTQ community.
Dawe explains, “I’ve never made it about that. It’s that a rainbow represents light, not dark – and the idea that everything is one, and inclusion and unity.”
So let’s enjoy some of his creations, and I’ll add information as we proceed.
Plexus #19 (Villa Olmo in Como, Italy)
Amazingly enough he does not use any computer software in drafting his art – just detailed sketches.
Obviously it varies depending on the size of the venue displaying his creations, but typically Dawe will use between 60 and 90 MILES of cotton embroidery thread. And it takes up to ten days for his crew to install the very exacting work.
Plexus #29 (BYU)
As you can imagine, this is not an easy task. It involves hard work on the ground …
And in the air …
To create this …
Plexus #34 (Carter Museum, Ft. Worth)
And to create something like this …
Can be both vertiginous and dangerous …
But worth it …
Plexus #18 (San Antonio Airport)
To say that his rainbow creations make our spirits soar is an understatement …
This installation will remain on display in the airport for three more years.
Plexus #30 & #31 (Newark Museum)
Some of his installations that seem simple and straightforward …
Turn out to be anything but when viewed from different perspectives …
Plexus #35 (Toledo Museum)
His current exhibit is at the Toledo Museum
Plexus A1 (Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Art Museum)
We’ll close as we begun with what, to my eye, is the most sensational creation at the Smithsonian – and full-sized …
Hard to believe that something so mundane as cotton embroidery thread …
Could be used to create something so beautiful …
For more information about and examples of his artwork, view Gabriel Dawe's website:
http://www.gabrieldawe.com/
15 Responses to “Friday Fun – “Roy G. Biv” Threads a Rainbow”
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Just a note on my “sabbatical” in case you were curious how my travels went: It was wonderful!
As you recall, I was absent for several Fridays while celebrating my Mom’s 100th Birthday with family and friends, and then Thanksgiving. While it was a lot of work putting it together (with only “supervisory”
assistanceharangues from my dear brother), it went extremely well.First, I went up to celebrate her actual Birthday on 11/11 (Veterans’ Day) at a fancy schmancy restaurant with my aunt and some dear friends from her old country church of her youth. (Mom grew up on a farm, where I spent a good deal of my summers.)
Then back again a week later for the Open House celebration at her current church with family and friends. Mom got over 55 Birthday cards sent to her, and about 75 people showed up for the Open House. (I’m not even sure if I know 75 people, let alone have them show up for cake and coffee.)
Then I stayed up to take Mom out to a Thanksgiving brunch that was fantastic!
All in all, we had a great time!
I'm glad you enjoyed yourself!
Lots of gorgeous prisms.
How is work on the new plugin doing?
Not well at all:
First, I've looked at that "Manual" so emailed me – but …
If I click the "Add the FR Slideshow" to the right of "Add Media" – a window pops up directing me to "Select a slideshow" – but it says none exist.
So if I go to the left column, head down and click "FR Slideshow" between "Settings" and "WP Optimize" – it forecs you to leave that post and opens another window. And in that window it says to "Drag & Drop" into slide – but there is NO access to the Media Library.
Even if I open the Media Library, select a photo and copy its URL and go back – there is NO place to paste it.
Any help suggestions would be appreciated, because I have NO idea how to even get photos into the slide – let alone do anything with them.
When I have time I'll uninstall it and find another.
I installed another for you. Upload inages to the image gallary, view them, copy the links, paste them in to the editor.
Glad you had a good time with your Mom and her Friends celebrating her "100th Birthday".
Threads are not as mundane as some people are led to believe. They are very useful in matching the colours of the fabric and clothing to appear seamless. Not only are the threads made of cotton but of other materials as well.
A lot of time and exacting efforts went into designing and putting in place the visual shows. Thanks for the photos.
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I agree. I was really wanting to learn more about the mechanics of how he actually goes about installing the creation – but came up w/ virtually nothing. And even his website doesn't provide any details WRT what's involved.
I would imagine it's very tedious, labor-intensive and exacting work, based on the couple of close-ups I included. Would have loved to have learned more.
Thanks so much for this Nameless – some of the prisms taken from different angles almost felt as though they had been moving and then had just paused, if you know what I mean – like a photograph of a dancer pirouetting… so lovely! I had never heard of Gabriel Dawe before, and I am so glad that I have now heard of him, thank you.
Congratulations to your mother on her 100th birthday – and to you too for organising an excellent party and for surviving your brother's advice!
Cross posted to Care2 at http://www.care2.com/news/member/101612212/4024848
So glad you had a good time, and nice to read more specifically about it. I love the rainbow motif, and think of it often in needlework, though ny strands, being knitting yarns, are much more substantial than embroidery threads!
Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your Mother, family and friends!! How wonderful !! Glad you had a safe trip too.
The “Plexus” pictures (artwork) is absolutely beautiful !!
Thank you, Nameless, for posting.
Love the Plexus pics, it is hard to imagine something so beautful made from thread.
Congrats to your MOm for her 100th birthday, with her mind intact. The first is rare, the second, even rarer. Glad you had a good trip.
Beautiful! Very, very beautiful!
My grandfather had a water prism on his front porch when I was a child and it always intrigued me. Since, prisms and rainbows have always been a favourite. When I have to go to New Westminster (a city within Metro Vancouver), I always enjoy going through the crosswalk at Columbia and Church which is painted in the rainbow pride colours. It just makes me feel good.
Say "Happy Birthday" to your mum from me, even though I'm a bit tardy. My grandfather mentioned above passed when he was 99.5 years, 6 months shy of getting the centarian greetings from the Queen. My father did however receive condolences from the Queen Mother whom my grandfather had worked with during WWII in London.
Glad your celebrations and visit went well, despite your brother's antics.
How wonderful! It's amazing what beauty a creative mind, miles of cotton embroidery thread and unmeasurable patience can produce. Thanks you for taking us on a trip around a world filled with amazing rainbows, Nameless.