The Fabric of Being Human
Georgina Priest
This piece is inspired by my first shift on a surgery ward where I met many amputees, and I was invited take part in a physiotherapy session. This experience hugely opened my eyes to the challenges faced by people who had recently undergone an amputation. Watching the new adaptations these patients had to make to life and listening to their fears of not being able to cope was upsetting. Anxieties included not being able to care for their children and being seen as an incompetent parent to becoming a financial burden on their families. Acknowledging these fears made me question my own prejudices, when I see a disabled person in public, do I always assume they need help and assistance? Does this mean I view them as incapable? It made me question what it means to be human, and if we do hold prejudices against people who don’t fit the idea of what a functioning member of society should look like – do we subconsciously consider them to be sub-human? This brought me to consider the fabric of being human, are we only considered valid if we are productive and efficient and can function without needing to ask for help? Many of the patients I met felt they were already a burden and were uncomfortable asking for help, because they felt they were “getting in the way”.
I chose to represent the muscular anatomy of a person, with an above-knee amputation, through embroidery. I drew a stencil of the muscular anatomy and embroidered the separate muscles with different coloured threads. It was important to me to represent the many different members of society through the use of different coloured threads when embroidering the muscles. I wanted to ultimately demonstrate how despite losing the lower leg, the human form still remains instantly recognisable as a human form. I felt this demonstrated that these patients were no less human than I was. As I was initially planning my piece, I considered many mediums including paint and chalk, however I felt the interweaving of thread and fabric made the piece much more human. It made me realise that there is a lot more to the fabric of human life, than the form.
The separate components that sum to make the whole are just as important as the final form. Ultimately, this piece aims to convey that being human cannot be reduced to a singular definition, there is no one colour or form that fits the mould.
I chose to represent the muscular anatomy of a person, with an above-knee amputation, through embroidery. I drew a stencil of the muscular anatomy and embroidered the separate muscles with different coloured threads. It was important to me to represent the many different members of society through the use of different coloured threads when embroidering the muscles. I wanted to ultimately demonstrate how despite losing the lower leg, the human form still remains instantly recognisable as a human form. I felt this demonstrated that these patients were no less human than I was. As I was initially planning my piece, I considered many mediums including paint and chalk, however I felt the interweaving of thread and fabric made the piece much more human. It made me realise that there is a lot more to the fabric of human life, than the form.
The separate components that sum to make the whole are just as important as the final form. Ultimately, this piece aims to convey that being human cannot be reduced to a singular definition, there is no one colour or form that fits the mould.
Effective Consulting, Year One
Creative Assignment Prizewinner 2019-2020
Creative Assignment Prizewinner 2019-2020
I was first drawn to this art work by the clever caption of the fabric of human beings and how the embroidery thread reflects this. It is very cleverly done with the stitches of thread mirroring the fibres of muscle present in the human body. On reading the description and after looking more closely with the image, the amputation significance really resonated with me. My uncle is an above knee amptuee and I have seen the struggles he first faced straight after his operation. Like Georgina this experience really opened my eyes to to the challenges faced by people who had recently undergone amputations. However almost 5 years on it is remarkable to see how my uncle is not limited by this disability in his daily life and can still carry on as normal. Overall am a big fan of this artwork and think it is very insightful.
I love the use of sewing in this piece: it is so unique and works really well to convey the muscles of the body. The different colours used ensure that the piece is inclusive and representative of people across the world who may have lost a limb. Each of the threads doesn’t mean a lot by itself, but when they come together they form a distinctly human structure.
This initially caught my eye as an art piece as I was impressed at the structure and resemblance the embroidery has with real muscle tissue. I appreciated the skill and accuracy that went into creating this beautiful piece of work. However, I then began to read the description which made me think far more deeply about the meaning behind the art. There are so many messages portrayed in this image and it can be interpreted in a number of ways depending on the viewer. For me, the most powerful message portrayed is how losing a limb does not affect your claim of being human. Losing a limb simply adds another aspect to oneself that makes them more unique to anyone else. That is what I believe being a human means, being part of an intelligent race whilst being completely unique to anyone else. Being respected for the differences in appearance or personality and not judged or treated any differently because one’s diversity.
Upon first seeing this piece I had one thought, “why is it unfinished?” Upon observing further and reading the authors words I really had to reflect on my initial thought. I could clearly tell from the picture that the artwork represented a human, the intricate, skilled sewing clearly showed that, but my attention was immediately drawn to the “defect” and what in my mind was “missing” rather than the beauty of the rest of the piece. The author has made me reflect on my own biases and helped me to see beyond peoples disability.
This piece interested me in several different ways. What first drew me to it was the intricate embroidery which nicely shows the fibrous structure of muscles and clearly involved a lot of effort. Looking closer, one aspect that caught my eye was the lack of any facial features. This to me takes away any sense of a specific identity from the figure, allowing it to represent many different people and conveying the idea that anyone can become an amputee. On the other hand, the missing face can also express the way that some people with disabilities may face prejudice and be dehumanised – considered “sub-human” as the author described. In addition, the choice of string as the material highlights the vulnerability of human beings in general.
I first liked this piece because of the use of texture as i was scrolling through the art, and it caught my eye, especially because the embroidery seemed very similar to images of muscle fibres. The use of colour to show depth also shows the artists skill. However, it was the story behing the piece that was particually interesting, and how the story was represented through the artform. Furthermore, by showing only the muscle, it suggests th strength shown, even through the individual is missing a limb
The use of embroidery to depict the muscles is a creative choice that makes for an instantly recognisable art piece. Despite the above knee amputation, the piece is still recognisable as human which further goes to show that amputations and physical form is not all that defines us as human.
The story behind the art piece is also very moving and thought provoking and opened a perspective on amputations that many people probably dont consider at first, the way that an amputation may make people feel about themselves and how it feels to ask for help. Its an important factor to consider when interacting with people with amputations and a message that extends to people with other illnesses as well in showing compassion to others.
I first found the use of different coloured threads really eye-catching, and how this simple variation of shade can highlight the different muscle groups. Then also whilst these are distinctly shown as separate, their amalgamation into the human form really highlights how with aspects missing or changed about the human body, it is no less human or different to the rest of us. Furthermore, upon reading the description, the use of thread and fabric allowed this piece to take on a whole new meaning and the way it links into not only aspects of life as an amputee, but also links into the fabric of life as a whole was really interesting.
really liked this
The colours of thread that were used and the visual aspect of how the threads interweave were the aspects that first caught my eye. The artist is so talented in the way she utilises the colours of thread as they so starkly resemble the colours of flesh, that this piece does definitely make you stop and stare.
Reading the description really pointed out the multifaceted meanings behind the artwork, and how this as any meaningful piece of artwork are open to many different interpretations depending on the viewer.
For me, the message that made me consider or question my own beliefs the most, is what are my predisposed beliefs and why do they exist about people who have amputations compared to another condition that could similarly affect a person. By showing just the musculature of the body, a sense of strength and empowerment can also be felt.
Overall, I felt this was such a beautiful and powerful piece of art that makes us all question ourselves.
Using embroidery as a media was an extremely creative method to portray the anatomy of the human body and what first attracted me to this art piece. Furthermore, the art piece really complimented the story, helping me reflect about prejudices around disabled people.
When I looked at this piece I could not help but be drawn to the apparent incompletion of the work. It was not until I read the artists abstract that I realised the unconscious bias I have. The artist has encouraged me to reflect on my biases and has allowed me to appreciate the piece for what is there rather than what is not. I love the use of embroidery to show the human body and I think that the colour contrast is great for bringing the piece to life.
Initially this piece caught my eye because of the clever use of embroidery, which very much resembles human muscle fibres. Reading the description encouraged me to reflect on my own experience of interviewing an amputee, and how they caused me to examine my own unconscious biases – they challenged the idea that they were capable of less than a non-disabled person because they were missing a limb, which is artfully represented in this piece. Furthermore, the idea that the human form is no less recognisable when there is a limb missing is a concept that illustrates how even with our various differences, we are all human, so we should be treated with respect. This is especially important because as future doctors, it is a reminder that we should strive to treat every one of our patients with their autonomy in mind, which can be compromised when we don’t reflect on our biases like the artist.
As someone who loves embroidery, I was so excited to see an embroidered piece. I was impressed by the use of texture and colour to reflect the different muscle groups. The piece cleverly challenges our unconscious bias, as many of us would initially think that the piece was unfinished. I found her reflections to be empathetic and insightful, shining a light on the struggles of living as an amputee, and how we often treat people with disabilities as though they are less than human. It inspires us to acknowledge our biases and work to treat everyone with equal consideration and respect.
The intricacy of the embroidery highlights the complexity of the muscles and the way in which they work together to bring about both large and finer movements. Each thread highlights the muscles fibres and the multitude of them, showing how something so small, when joined together make a big effect. The stark feature of the amputation shows the great impact that such surgery can have not just on the body but also on the individual mentally.