Flor de Piel
Flor de Piel
2017
In ancient
times, the human body signified itself as a micro manifestation of the macro universe,
a system of repetition in which everything that happened above and around was
replicated in its being. And it is the macro—full of energy,
of cycles, of phases dictated by the movement of the stars, by the breaking and
making of beings— what was thought to be found in a human
being. But how could these deaths and births replicate within a body?
Skin has an unmatched vital cycle. It is a barrier between a being and the world, permeable, shifting, and breakable; it can eliminate —through its pores— water, bacteria and cells which the body needs to rid itself of in order to regenerate. Energies, cycles, phases branded by elements within ourselves and around us—could this be a manifestation of what happens on a macro level?
Maria Ignacia Walker’s work is an obsessive study of the human body through layers, textures, colors and temperatures. This is why in her series Flor de piel this pronounced, porous and changing layer is so evident, coating the skin and giving it its sustenance and release. It is a way to constantly remind the spectator, like flowers in spring and the earth’s cycles, of the workings within the human being on a daily, physical and unconscious basis. Each cell births itself from another. They are all born independently and will then give birth to corporeal tissue. Maria Ignacia Walker recreates them artificially, with different shades and textures, directly conjuring up the making of skin.
Her technique is one of the most ancient ones—weaving. In advance she must craft her materials through a complex process that requires a different timeline, a time of creation in which the transparent thread is tightened with resin, creating small drops of varying sizes, as varying as our intrepid universe. These micro-orbs are dyed with pigments that attach themselves to the thread and are joined together by crochet. Through this same process many of the spheres get released, just like cells that regenerate while others immerse themselves in each piece, creating artificial tissues that envelop the body in the shape of necklaces, gloves, brooches or masks. Thus, weaving and linking, an ode to generation – regeneration is born, making evident the cyclic course of life, human beings and the universe.
Skin has an unmatched vital cycle. It is a barrier between a being and the world, permeable, shifting, and breakable; it can eliminate —through its pores— water, bacteria and cells which the body needs to rid itself of in order to regenerate. Energies, cycles, phases branded by elements within ourselves and around us—could this be a manifestation of what happens on a macro level?
Maria Ignacia Walker’s work is an obsessive study of the human body through layers, textures, colors and temperatures. This is why in her series Flor de piel this pronounced, porous and changing layer is so evident, coating the skin and giving it its sustenance and release. It is a way to constantly remind the spectator, like flowers in spring and the earth’s cycles, of the workings within the human being on a daily, physical and unconscious basis. Each cell births itself from another. They are all born independently and will then give birth to corporeal tissue. Maria Ignacia Walker recreates them artificially, with different shades and textures, directly conjuring up the making of skin.
Her technique is one of the most ancient ones—weaving. In advance she must craft her materials through a complex process that requires a different timeline, a time of creation in which the transparent thread is tightened with resin, creating small drops of varying sizes, as varying as our intrepid universe. These micro-orbs are dyed with pigments that attach themselves to the thread and are joined together by crochet. Through this same process many of the spheres get released, just like cells that regenerate while others immerse themselves in each piece, creating artificial tissues that envelop the body in the shape of necklaces, gloves, brooches or masks. Thus, weaving and linking, an ode to generation – regeneration is born, making evident the cyclic course of life, human beings and the universe.
Text
Elisa Massardo