Identity

This is a piece I created for my second project in History of Fabric. We were asked to identify a tribe we were a member of and I chose my extended family. We have a unique drawing of a chicken that has been passed down for four generations now. We call it the Carlisle Family Chicken. (It is where I got the name for this blog) The drawing made with one continuous line apart from the legs, even though we all know the technique every persons chicken is very unique.

We are a very close family and I wanted to express the support we all give each other by having them send me a piece of fabric they found significant. I expected curtain scraps or random fabric they had laying around from past projects but i got much more. Lots sent pieces from clothing my grandmother had made them making the project extra special. Each of the pieces is kind of like a poi trait of the person it represents. It is made from the fabric they sent me and their drawing of the "Carlisle Family Chicken" is stitched on the front. I chose to frame the pieces with a fabric I found that looks much like a tablecloth my grandmother would have on her kitchen table, something that brings us all together. Most of our gatherings incorporate food and end with us playing games around that table.

I had to rely on others to make this work possible. Most of the decisions were made for me after the initial idea. All I did was respond to the fabric. I chose to display these pieces side by side surrounding the viewer in an intimate space to signify the support system that surrounds me.