Kristen Tordella-Williams

Rope Piece

Steel, Rope

Priced upon request

A knot brings together negative and positive space; it emerges from a tiny hole, simultaneously filling empty space and intimately reaching towards the viewer. I have touched each strand, knotted each end, and ingrained my labor into each artwork. “Rope Piece” is a continuation of “Knot Piece” (2014-15), which consists of a circle of knots piercing a piece of paper, with one end long and the other, knotted end short. The resulting sculpture is a container of labor, material, and time spent. There are various connections to hair, embroidery, and women’s work while being an absurd result of minute physical labor. I extended “Knot Piece” into a durable, public sculpture titled “Rope Piece” (2016) in which fishing rope is suspended by knots through holes cut into sheet steel mounted onto a curved steel structure. I gathered the rope from the Mississippi Gulf Coast; the majority of which was once an anchor line. Viewers can interact with the work, running their hands through the long lines and touching the shorter, knotted ends."Rope Piece" was originally exhibited in a 5 month outdoor exhibition at the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich, MA. The sculpture was tucked back from main walking paths, creating an intimate experience for viewers where they meditated and did yoga in its presence. “Rope Piece” is a visually delicate but physically strong representation of engrained labor that would be a great fit for this year’s Beltline exhibition.

"Rope Piece" is an extension of a series of sculptures and wall pieces that employ the use of weaving yarn, embroidery, and knotting through handmade paper, wood, steel, and mixed media. The work describes manipulations of thread, bound images, varied patterns, and processes that reflect the meditation involved in repetitive action. Knots and stitches made with thread are simple, domestic actions evocative of traditional feminine roles. A knot brings together negative and positive space; it emerges from a hole, simultaneously filling empty space and intimately reaching towards the viewer. I have touched each strand, knotted each end, ingraining my labor into each length. "Rope Piece" is a steel and rope interpretation of a paper and thread sculpture.