Fiber art project- Organized Chaos-week 2

My next step in the production of the large scale batik on silk project, was to iron out the wax that was applied to the silk to keep most of the dye from covering the background. To do this, I iron the fabric between sheets of computer paper to absorb as much of the wax as possible.

Here is how some of it looks with only a thin layer of wax and oil left behind from the leftovers. The dyed places are where the wax was intentionally applied in such a way that it did not penetrate all the way through to the other side of the silk. When the dyes were brushed and squirted onto the silk, some leaked over the edge and back stained the reverse side of the fabric to create these lines of color.

Here is a picture of another section that is particularly beautiful.

So why not make the whole thing a solid coverage of wax so that all of the white stays white? Because the title of this piece is "Organized Chaos". I am attempting to communicate how this feels to me.

Anytime chaos pierces through the peace and calm, there is a backlash or vibration set up that cuts through the calm. Chaos is not without static by any means. It vibrates and stings and sets up motion both good and bad. To have this lovely color looping along and then puddling without shards and splinters of intensity is to lose the point of the piece.

Art is entertainment. Art without communication just takes up space. Art without a solid core of meaning and significance is just decoration. Decoration is okay but that's not what I am looking for in my fiber art or in this piece.

Next week, I will show you how the backing is taking shape and how the whole thing looks when completed!