The Garment and Entrapment

/ moragnoffke

This next artwork is part of last year’s collection of artworks which I did during working in the course Art of Individuation. I started it in 2017 but finally finished it during the course.

This artwork which I made and named “The Garment” is not to be worn, but rather, symbolically to be taken off. It is made from net, handmade pleather (plastic leather) beads, wool and embroidery threads. The intention of this artwork is both to draw attention to an intellectual thought process depicting an inward struggle; and also to express this inward struggle which I believe to be a universal struggle all human beings go through when they are dissatisfied with their situation or specific circumstance they find themselves in because of their own actions or habitual behavior. I refer to this habitual behavior as “the things we collect”.  The idea is that we need to find our way out of the entrapment we create for ourselves. Often we do not know how we got into the trapped position and we are more often than not not able to see our way out of the entrapment.

We often embellish our situations of entrapment with little excuses which I have referred to as beads shaped like pupae. The dichotomous use of the pupae, signifying life, yet here they are sewn on as decorations speaks of death (the pupae has died) because of actions and habitual behavior that leads to captivity and entrapment. The bead-pupae are sewn into our heart indiscriminately when we don’t reflect on the actions and habits we take on board. The green woolen threads are synonymous of life giving boundaries yet some boundaries have sewn these beads into the fabric of the garment’s being; while the red embroidery threads are synonymous of wounds, blood, bruising and pain. The purple net is also conveying the bruising and pain of being captive.  

Here is a poem which is part of the first video.

The things
we collect
I shaped
these beads
To look
like pupae
If they are
indiscriminately
Sewn in our
hearts
They grow on us
and are
difficult
To eradicate
To eradicate
They become part
of us
and eventually
We have growths
that are wounding us
Try as we might
it is difficult
to remove
That which has grown
on us
We wound ourselves,
we bleed,
bruise
and we feel sore
Yet if we want to be free
We must
take steps
to break out
To lay our captivity
down…
Walking away
towards our
freedom
We step away
and create
healthy
perspective

The garment: The Things We Collect

The second video depicts the movement of the struggle of finding ones way out of the garment and the entrapment. There is anger and depression, struggling to find ones way out, yet there is also being still and reflection. I hope to convey the meaning through the movement and poem.

The things we
get caught up in…

We find they
trap us

We may fight
we may
give up

Until we
find
our way out

We may
feel dissolution

We may
feel angry

Until we find
our
way out

Be still

Reflect

And find

Your

Way

Out

Entrapment: The things we get caught up in.

27 thoughts on “The Garment and Entrapment”

  2. Beautiful, Morag, and powerful. Makes me think about things we do get caught up in… Pretty on the outside, perhaps, with seductive dangers and traps within. Things that can stay with us and choke the life out of us.
    This was very thought provoking. Thank you, Morag.

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  5. You have very beautifully and meaningfully explained your artwork. It’s thought provoking and both videos are superb. Thanks for such a beautiful presentation 👌👌💐

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  6. Brilliant, Morag. I loved the videos with their references to the poems. I found the 2nd video exciting as there was more movement including the more modern twist of music (sorry, I’m too old to know the proper musical expression).
    I really do understand the sentiment of the poems; the baggage we all carry and wonder how to off load it.
    Thank you, Morag. 🌹💓🙋‍♂️

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  9. “Often we do not know how we got into the trapped position and we are more often than not not able to see our way out of the entrapment.” How true that it is … But we can struggle to get free as you so beautifully depict in your second video. I love you creative expressiveness! Thank you for sharing this.

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