Blackwork Frida Kahlo Hoop
About the Hoop
I have always loved one of Frida's black-and-white drawings of herself, so it seemed like a good match for “blackwork,” an embroidery technique that dates back to before the 16th century. It was popularized in England by Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon, who wore blackwork-embellished clothing from Spain. Blackwork uses repeating geometric patterns in different thread weights to create the effect of light and shadow. Traditional blackwork uses only black thread. My creation is a bit of a blackwork hybrid, as I chose not to use too many geometric shapes for the shading on Frida's face. I approached that part of the design more like a pen-and-ink drawing, relying mostly on straight lines. I inserted my first blackwork pattern into the body of the bird on her brow, which made the image come together for me. Frida's lace blouse allowed me to incorporate the most extensive geometric blackwork. I mimicked the patterns in the original illustration, but I had to use a more free-handed, modified technique because the linen I used made counting difficult. I replicated the pattern of vein-like roots on her sleeve and added some seed beads to her neckline. The hand earring she is wearing in the drawing was gifted to her by Picasso, and I used a silver Milagro hand for the earring. I worked on Frida's hair last, using about 10 skeins of embroidery thread. I made her hair free-flowing, as I did in my Wounded Table hoop, by first stitching down a base to cover the linen fabric and then building up layer after layer of the strands. The bottom edge of her hair flows past the frame of the hoop. The uprooted flower ended up being one of my favorite elements of the finished hoop. I used French knots to create the center of the flower. The roots, which I created using stem stitch, took many hours to complete. But there is a trancelike pleasure sometimes in even the most repetitive stitching.
Available for purchase at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, gift shop.
