Contemporary textile artist
D. (2016). Sue Hotchkis: From conception to creation. Available: http://www.textileartist.org/susan-hotchkis-conception-creation/. Last accessed 17th Mar 2017.
J. (2016). Sue Hotchkis interview: Working intuitively. Available: http://www.textileartist.org/sue-hotchkis-interview-free-motion-machine-embroidery-and-print/. Last accessed 17 Mar 207.
Hotchkis, S . (2012). Fibre Artist . Available: http://www.suehotchkis.com. Last accessed 17 Mar 2017.
Sue Hotchkis chats about her exhibition Fragments. (2016). Sue Hotchkis chats about her exhibition Fragments. [Online Video]. 26 March 2016. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvrNTo-QPoY&feature=em-subs_digest. [Accessed: 17 March 2017].
Her interests lie within the relationship between the growing world and natural environment and man made similar to my own project. She uses a variety of textile materials in order to create her pieces. She specialises in making 3d forms, and the way she presents these pieces really works. The techniques she uses are mainly machine sewing and had sewing, she explains she is not too precious about her work she uses heat gun and dyes up her own cloths before creating. The main themes in her work are colour, texture and surface – these themes are what I try to convey in my work.
She had an interview which I found on YouTube on her exhibition Fragments which was displayed in Australia. She explains that she very rarely limits her work to a specific shape such as a square or rectangle which would be easily framed. I like this because it means it allows her textile piece to be more creatively formed as she has no limits on its shape or size. In the video she explains about her style of work she initiates her work from taking photographs, she is curious about the work she is making. She takes images of rusted metal, she explains she notices the world a little bit differently. She uses a digital camera to capture this inspiration. Similarly to this I always begin my projects by taking images to draw from this then stems into designing and developing ideas.
What I find interesting is she doesn’t really alter the original image she only crops them and sometimes alters the brightness to add colour and vibrancy. She discussed, creating screens and how her work is an accumulation of layers. She uses similar techniques to myself she prints onto fabric with procion dye and pigment dyes onto cotton. She makes her own fabrics and materials that she then works back in to.
Over the practice of her work she has become more experimental and you can see this through her development and newer pieces. She has begun to bring a more sculptural theme to the work as previous work was quite flat. To me this is more interesting and a better representation of organic forms as they don’t form flat. She considers herself as an “artist that makes things.” Similar to what Jamie Holman said in his lecture “Don’t give up, doubting your work is ok.” The act of creating work and making work is more important.
I am fascinated by the colours and textures that she reflects in her work. I find the way she presents them really interesting as they look as though they are moving and alive. I think she manages to create her inspiration in a contemporary way. I love the way she presents her work so I sent her a message on her Facebook account , I was so pleased when she replied. This have given me ideas and thoughts about how I can present textile pieces.
Leila Roworth 