CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Blood Scarf, made of vinyl
tubing, may be the most controversial of Splan’s work;
the embroidered HIV virus is just one of the deadly
viruses featured in Splan’s Doilies series; Prozac,
Thorazine, Zoloft is a group of latch-hook rug pillows
that were mind-numbingly time-consuming to make.
own blood in pieces like your Wallpaper/Samples
series. What about your work that involves skin?
LS: My recent skin-related work involves sculptures
constructed out of cosmetic facial peels. I apply
a common drugstore peel-off mask to my entire
body and peel it off in one large “hide,” which is
used as fabric that I embellish with embroidery. I’m
currently working on a negligee, and plan to create
several other objects for the series, which is called
Trousseau. I like the idea that all of the peels have
the impression of my own skin on them.
JJ: Your recent work includes intricate doilies that
depict the structure of different viruses. Can you
tell us about the creation process?
LS: Doilies is a series of free-standing, machine-embroidered doilies mounted on velvet, each design
based on a different viral structure. I begin with a
digital image of the virus and base a graphic design
on it. The design is imported into embroidery software, where the stitches are laid out. Finally, the
designs are output from a computerized embroidery
craftzine.com/05/splan
machine onto water-soluble fabric. When the fabric
is dissolved, only the thread that forms the doily
remains. This free-standing doily is then mounted
and framed. ×
See more of Splan’s extraordinary creations at
laurasplan.com, or at upcoming shows Nov. 8–
March 9 at the Museum of Arts & Design in New
York City, and Jan. 18–March 7 at Spaces Gallery
in Cleveland.
Watch Splan’s doilies and other processes
unfold on KQED Public Television’s Spark:
craftzine.com/go/splan
Julie Jackson is the author of Subversive Cross Stitch: 33
Designs for Your Surly Side (Chronicle Books, 2006). A total
web addict, she’s the force behind
subversivecrossstitch.com,
snarkymalarkey.com, and
kittywigs.com.
