by Lin Hsin-Chen
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| "Dry Gorge", 40cm x 80cm |
Taroko National Park, situated in the east of the Central Mountain Range
of Taiwan and across the Liwu River, is facing Pacific Ocean and surrounded by
mountains. Water rushing down from the magnificent mountains to the narrow
U-shaped gorge, the white gorge is carved into the marble by the erosive power
of the Liwu River for years. Due to climate change, dry season has extended.
The riverbed looks like old cheese.
There is a truss bridge on the hillside. I had
strong feelings when I was sewing the truss structure.
Standing between the mountains, I observed the subtle feel between the bridge
and the mountains and felt the combination of natural and unnatural. The
interval between trusses looks differently when you stand in different
positions, as if different standpoint affects communication between people. I
got lost when I was sewing the truss bridge because I was so keen on making the
interval between trusses looked equal. I didn’t believe in what I recorded
on the spot, so I spent lots of time readjusting them. I even read several
books about it but it only helped me to learn more about bridge structures.
Finally, I had to go back to my original design and try to recall what I saw
from where I stand there. I realized that people are born with "visual adjustment";
there is nothing to do with the interval between trusses as long as it’s
well-constructed. The beautiful combination between the bridge and mountains
reminds me of mutual acceptance of shortcomings between people.
We can never learn the big heart that how Nature
embraces unnatural structures. I was so ignorant that I tried to make adjustment
of the truss bridge arbitrary. Learning opportunity is everywhere and the
dryness seems to remind us this philosophy. Thanks to this challenge, it brings
me new perspective. Thank you all for supporting this project.
Materials: commercial cottons, woolen yarn
Techniques: 100% hand pieced, hand appliqué, hand quilted. The wool is
transplanted into fabrics and made undetachable.
Size: 40 cm x 80 cm
Beautiful Hsin-Chen. I love your description of the struggle with the bridge and your ultimate conclusion of mutual acceptance of shortcomings between people. Profound!
ReplyDeleteYou always amaze me with your insights Hsin-Chen, and your hand work! Thanks for a great topic.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a wonderful challenge, Hsin-Chen! I was struck by the same sentence that Lisa–Marie picked out. It is amazing how we think we see in everything and how are mind often fills in the blanks. A wonderful image.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lisa-Marie, Sue and Martha! I struggled for a long time before writing the sentence. If you have a chance to visit the gorge, I believe you will have strong feeling like me. Thank you all for all the powerful and wonderful works in this challenge!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and sad at the same time. Well done.
ReplyDelete