I’ve been working on a fresh batch of tredknot “cha-CHING!” coin purses for the Festival for the
Eno”, as I realized that I have recently sold out. It has been a while since I
have worked with these, and it has really been a pleasure to dip back in, and
work with the tredknot form in such a small, immediate and intimate way.
I guess the nicest part about working with these small coin
purses is that I get to explore all of the myriad colors and textures inherent
in retired bicycle tires. Of course, at the central axis of these tires, are
the often intricate, rhythmic and geometric designs of the treads, which are an
artform in them selves. These can be somewhat remenicent of a range of art
traditions, from, say, Viennese Art Deco wood block prints, to Aztec pottery.
These of course, form the bas note of the tire’s character, which determine the
all over tone of a coin purses made from the tire.
However, this decorative border is itself bordered- flanked-
by the two strips of rubber which form the tire’s side walls.
And these twin strips can be canvases of a different sort,
windows as it were, in to the (most likely) arduous life that particular tire
has lived on the road. Embossed into this surface are bits of text, indicating
its dimensions, construction, brand name, and country of manufacture. Some of
these ‘family’ surnames carry strange histories of their own, such as IRC
(which I would venture to bet conceals the history of the India Rubber
Company…).
This rubber often has various contents of natural latex
rubber, mixed with various pigments to give it a variety of colors, from
oranges and yellows, or yellowy greens to beiges to whites, to blacks, and back
around to rich orangy browns.
And of course, these colors themselves are augmented by
various forces of wear and distress, causing various fades and dapples along
edges, which add heightended character and interest to the surface. Reflective
strips along these edges is a recent addition to tire design, and can be a fun
element as well.
So, you can see that each tire’s rubber has a lot of
individual character. And this is makes it such a treat to work with these
rubber characters, and help them shine within the format of the tredknot.
Indeed it was the very variety of colorful characters (much like those found in
any group of people), that inspired me to devine the format of the tredknot
itself, as a means of showcasing this character, in it’s 3 interlocking faces.
Having worked with this form for over 8 years now, it is
also a pleasure to watch my hands at work, because they know the form and its
intricacies “like the backs of their hands”! and it is a pleasure to watch them
doing the work somewhat on autopilot, and subsequently watching the small
tredknots work their way into shape, which seems
A LOT more effortless than it used to! It feels a little
more like fluffing pillows these days, as much as that image sort of disgusts
me! The point is though, that the fingers know, and can make the material
dance, like a charmed snake!
