PRIVATE PATTERN - 2010 < back Private Pattern       embroidered fabric, photo, diary   I   canvas, wood   I    dimension variable 1 / 8 Mezőszemere, September 2010 I´ve met a few locals – women who were embroidering as an extra income. They were embroidering matyo patterns (Hungarian folk art – tr.) on tablecloth and on vests, based on orders. Their income was extremely low: they received 600-1000 HUF for a piece which they worked on for several days. Otherwise, embroidering was a love work for them, something money can´t pay. Most of them didn´t have any other income, and this one was very occasional, too. According to my project, the participants could become creators, and they would receive for their work the money they asked for. Thus, I´ve commissioned a couple of women to embroider canvases which show them while they are holding in their hands their embroidery. I´ve enlarged and draw their figures on the canvases based on photos of them. Besides embroidering their own image onto the canvas they could use the space provided by the embroidery that they were holding in their hands as a space for private creation. They were supposed to use their own creativity in filling out that space: I´ve asked them to use this space as a message board, where they can show, express anything they want or consider important using any kind of technique or combinations of techniques based solely on their imagination, even if they are unusual, or they differ from or disregard the usual rules and expectations of embroidering. Finally, they were supposed to ask for a fair salary, an adequate reward for their work. The participants kept a diary about the needlework. The title of the series is Private Pattern. So far, three works have been completed.