Robin, age 17
Mohair wool, cotton yarn, lace (cotton and polyester), natural dye (beetroot), glass beads, sequins
For my project, I have recreated the flowers from the painting using hand-crocheted and second hand lace. The use of lace is inspired by the 1880s fashion trends seen in the painting. Lace shows the effects of industrialisation on society and art; its earlier handmade process, itself an art form, was devalued by mechanisation. I have chosen to use a combination of handmade and machine-produced lace to show the juxtaposition of the natural world and modern society portrayed in Manet51²è¹Ý¶ù painting. The flowers in the painting can be seen as symbolising femininity, youth, beauty and objectification, embodying the female experience in 19th-century Europe. By recreating the flowers using ‘feminine’ craft
techniques, I wanted to explore the role of women today and in Manet51²è¹Ý¶ù era.