Dimensions: 12 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (32.39 x 8.89 cm)
Copyright: Public Domain
This shirt collar, by Red Yao, is a symphony of embroidered forms. The color palette is restrained, mostly reds and browns, but within that, there’s a world of variation. You know, sometimes it’s the self-imposed limitations that give a work its strength. What I find fascinating is how the embroidery becomes a way of thinking. Look at the squares, each containing a different rendering of a labyrinthine motif. Each one is carefully made, with a steady hand and real attention. The texture is crucial; you can almost feel the give and take of the fabric, the slight imperfections in the weave. There is a kind of visual conversation happening here that reminds me of the work of contemporary textile artists like Diedrick Brackens, who also uses weaving as a way to tell stories. But in the end, it's the beautiful ambiguity of this piece, the way it resists any single interpretation, that makes it so compelling.
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