Chas Chaplin. Icon 2. The binding, so far.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Chas Chaplin. Icon 2. The binding, so far. Concentrating on the demonic, anti establishment Tramp, my response is to create a worn, patched work, staying with a very limited palette of simple colours.. Black, white and red with the odd splash of something else creeping in. Small elements that tie in with the text black and, indeed, add to it.
This has not been a simple case of dipping in to a box full of bits of fabric and just chucking them together (I wish it was) it is more a series of placements, juxtaposition and tension. Balance and form.. all of that arty stuff. Perhaps a bit of improvisation too. All of this combined with the heavy sewing to produce a series of lines, marks if you will, to underscore the patch work. The combination is textured, the under cloth has not been disguised, more it is used to eccentuate the making process.

When I step back from the work, I look. Seeing the various layers, stitches and colours forming the complete (not yet!) view. I suppose it looks simple, a couple of bits of cloth, a little machine sewing, a little adhesive..... Just to put all of this in to perspective it has taken me the best part of 4 days to get this far.
I do not want to manufacture a 'nice' binding. Slick and fancy. For me, Chaplin's creation of the Tramp (not an over night thing by the way) the invisible, the out cast fallen through the cracks of society, life on the edge of society was not nice. Dregs not slick or fancy. Before I started work on this project I never asked myself what is this little tramps back story, how many of us do? Chaplin's character is a social comment on the plight of so many, as relevant today as yesterday. Of course his acting was slick, the practice and the number of takes to get a scene 'correct' testify to his sense of perfectionism. Not to say the patience of the cast and crew!
WIP. Paper, ink, print, various threads and cloths.
Stay Safe
Please note there are other ways of doing things and opinions..... spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind... of sorts.