Latex Lace

Detail of large-scale bobbin lace piece spelling the word “yes,” made from latex tubing. I made this piece largely to explore the limitations of the bobbin lace technique, which are formidable; to create a very simple tape lace piece I had to wind 100s of feet of tubing onto 8 separate spools and pin it to a large bulletin board with nails as I went along, occasionally turning the bulletin board on the easel to change the direction of the weaving. The physical work of manipulating the heavy spools and the board and nailing it all together was completely exhausting and very very slow. The finished piece weighs around 40 lbs and feels sort of like holding a flayed human skin. I also have a particular (though I think quite understandable) horror of latex as a texture, so the whole thing was more or less of an ordeal.