Irma the Bad Weather Girl
The sculpture I have created is a suspended figure made of knitted deconstructed beach-combed rope and galvanised wire covered in black washi tape. The inspiration for this sculpture comes from a 3D monoprint weather map of Hurricane Irma that I was commissioned to make in 2018. Hurricane Irma affected many areas along the coastlines of the West Indies and particularly the British Virgin Islands that my client had a connection to. It was one of the most devastating storms of recent times.
Hurricanes as a type of weather do not really have a visual form. We can feel the effects of strong wind and we can hear the sound of it but we only really see the movement of objects and devastation of the after effects like downed trees, damaged buildings and fences and debris washed up on beaches etc.
We see the markings of isobars depicting the air pressure on a weather map as a manmade illustration of what force a hurricane was or is to come and we humanise them by giving them names to differentiate them from one another. I wanted to give my Irma a female form, as her name suggested. It was important that she should appear to be floating and be able to give the impression of spinning in the wind.
The sculpture was created by taking apart and re-knitting local beach-combed rope to create a dress shape which was then stretched with the tape covered wire to suggest a more solid form, creating a complex interplay of textures and shape and space. The use of wire has allowed me to create the effect of space and enabled me to stretch it into a more intricate structure, while the use of the delicately knitted rope has added an element of lightness to the overall piece. By combining these two materials, I hoped to create a sculpture that embodies the duality of strength and vulnerability that is often associated with the female form.
When I started this piece, I did not know how it was going to turn out as I had a limit on the actual materials available (for example length of the found piece of rope), so the knitting of it was very experimental. It was only when this was done, and I started using the wire to stretch it out, that the form really started to appear. I experimented with various options for creating the arms and head using cardboard and paper, more knitting and a possible lino print for the face, but in the end the lightness and wildness created by the wire seemed the best option.
The suspended nature of the sculpture adds an additional layer of symbolism, representing the air and interplay of movement created by wind. The figure appears to be floating in mid-air, with her body made to represent the spiralling nature of hurricanes and tornados. Using the washed-up beach rope as a material further reinforces the connection between manmade objects and nature, evoking images of the ways in which natural disasters can reshape our surroundings.
I am hoping the overall effect of the sculpture will be both beautiful and haunting, drawing the viewer in with its intricate textures and suspended form, while also reminding them of the destructive power of nature. I have enjoyed bringing her to life.
The culmination of finishing this piece was exhibiting Irma at Peer Studios, Ventnor in September 2023 (photo above)
This gallery shows photos of the making process.
Follow me on Instagram westsouthwesterly. I have a video pinned on my instagram that tells you all about my work and inspiration.
