cherilyn martin

much like the work of els van baarle who i featured here a little while ago, cherilyn martin is really inside the notion that when things fall apart, when they deteriorate or decay, they carry a subtle but powerful beauty that somehow speaks more deeply than when they were shiny and new.

each artist has found their inspiration in taking the essence of those crumbling or ancient artifacts and transferring the details - the rust, the flaking, the exposed layering - and redefining it in terms of a similar layering of materials and tiny objects embedded in the material field on which they cast their designs, be it cloth or paper.

there is a deep and sensual presence in the placement of colour and form that speaks of a more poignant and emotive relationship. one in which the viewer is asked to dwell and then immerse themselves in the moments and the details.

cherilyn says of her work:
"a fascination with the juxtaposition of buildings and ruins in landscape, the superimposition of form, has led to
the type of monumental layering found in many of my pieces.
layering is a fundamental element in my work. using the basic concept of the quilt - the layering of fabrics - panels are constructed and in turn layered to give depth of composition.
exploiting the tactility of thread and stitch, to interpret surfaces ravaged by time and the elements, is imperative to my work. In turn the layering of stitchery adds a further dimension whilst exploring surface texture."

here is what cherilyn has to say about her embroideries . . . "having learnt to embroider before learning to write it seems almost inevitable that I have chosen embroidery as a means of artistic expression. i currently use combinations of both hand and machine stitchery, layering line, colour and texture to create rich surfaces in which concepts of time/experience/emotion are embodied."

here are some details from her embroideries . . .

black composition 1 . . .



black composition 2



cherilyn has this to say about her paperworks . . . "paper, just as seductive as fabric, offers endless opportunities for surface design and structural manipulation. i am currently concentrating on the use of paper as "surface", layering with mixed media to build tactile surfaces with hidden meanings. this method of working has forced me to reconsider my approach to the use of both paint and stitch."

waterlilies 1



waterlilies 2



to see more of cherilyn martin's work then visit her homepage.