I was thinking about spiders this morning when I was getting ready for work. I was specifically thinking of Spider III, a sculpture by Louise Bourgeois. It's part of the collection at the museum where I'm a volunteer docent. I'm leading a virtual collection highlights tour next month, and I've been trying to figure out what to include. I have to send in my list next week, and was thinking about including Spider III. I hate spiders, but I love Spider III.
Bourgeois was known for her sculptures, including the much larger spiders, Maman and Spider. She used the spider in her work for its symbolic importance, particularly its protectiveness and industriousness. Her mother was a tapestry weaver, and spiders are closely tied to textile arts. I scroll through Twitter while drinking my coffee in the morning, and this came across my feed:
A sign - spider web it is! There is such a thing as a spider web stitch; I don't know how to do it, but will add it to my list of stitches to learn. Spider webs are beautiful and I love the connection between the spider and weaving and sewing.
Details:
Stitches: all back stitch
Thread palette: I used DMC Etoile Ecru and C37799. I thought ecru looked better than white on the fabric.
Inspiration: Louise Bourgeois's Spider III and the helpful posters @womensart1. Check out this 2014 article about Bourgeois's home in New York.
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