Paper Murmuration

Rachel was commissioned by Platform Thirty One to create an art installation for this years Alfreton Festival, Derbyshire which took place on the 28th & 29th September.

The installation in St Martins Church was created from over 1000 individually woven paper units using the five stranded spiral corn dollie weave.

Over 1000 individually woven corn dollies create this paper installation

Woven Installation

Back in November I was lucky to be selected as artist in residence for Arts Council’s ‘Art In Empty Shops’ scheme and was given the use of an old Burtons menswear shop. 

I studied the Corn Dollie weave to create over 200 individually woven geometric forms using fine paper tubes. 

Strung together as one form, they create patterns and shadows on the wall giving the feeling of a larger mass, reminding me of a Murmuration.

murmuration

noun literary

1 [ mass noun ] the action of murmuring: the murmuration of a flock of warblers.

2 rare a flock of starlings.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from French, from Latin murmuratio(n-), from murmurare ‘to murmur’. The usage as a collective noun dates from the late 15th cent.

As you continue working anti clockwise keep turning your weaving over to check how the structure is developing, this will help inform you if you need to bring the structure in by placing the paper on top of the next tube or expand the shape by placing the paper tube alongside the next.

It can be a little tricky to master expanding and retracting shapes and you may need a few attempts.

To weave and expand out the shape place the weaving paper tube on the outside of the next tube.
To weave and bring in the shape place the weaving paper tube on top of the next tube.

Start with five strands and weave each strand one once around the neck as shown in the earlier lesson.
Pass the paper tube over and under the next paper tube so that it lays parallel with the next paper strand.
Pick up the paper tube that has just been wrapped and move it to the next paper tube and pass over and under.
Continue weaving one strand at a time passing it over and under the next strand in an anti clockwise rotation.

How to weave corn dolly style, part 2

In my earlier post you will have learnt the basics of corn dolly weaving around a neck or internal structure.
This next step will show you how to create free form structures.

Step 4. Joining

Gently score down the centre of the tube with your finger nail.

Pinch the tube to make a small fold over the crease.

Thread a new paper tube over the pipe cleaner.

Push the new paper tube over the creased and folded tube.

Continue pushing the new paper tube over the later until you have made a secure invisible join.