A Stitch out of Time

French artist Anaïs Beaulieu learnt the craft of embroidery from her grandmother, a practice passed on through the generations of women in her family. This title features images of her embroidery on throwaway plastic bags, used for disposing waste. The book plays with two powerful themes: environmental degradation symbolised by the ubiquitous take-over of our surroundings by plastic, the slow time of creation, whether of a tree, or a piece of embroidery.

The book contrasts the mindlessness of a culture that consumes without thought and throws away with the mindful process of creating an embroidery, which mirrors natural plant growth. By embroidering beautiful plant forms on plastic, Anaïs charts a rather unique art of resistance, and invites us to reflect on the fragile art of conservation in the age of plastic.

The book’s form reflects its contrasting themes – it is literally a conversation in textures: photographs come to life on art paper, the endsheets are silkscreen-printed, and the cover features embroidered plastic, inset in woven jute and comes protected in a specially embroidered cotton tote bag.
ISBN 9789390037025. Tara Books. hb. offset printed. handmade embroidered cover. 32 pages. 23.5 x 33 cm.