Maurizio Anzeri - Photograph Embroidery

"Maurizio Anzeri's unusual working process brings together found photographs and embroidery. Using portraits from the 1930s and 1940s collected at flea markets, Anzeri overlays abstract designs by sewing intricately patterned threads directly onto the photographic surface. Obscuring part of the photograph he both hides and heightens certain features of the face. His precise juxtapositions transform the discarded image, giving his portraits a disquieting and psychological presence." - The BalticMill.com

I absolutely loved this exhibition and how the artist uses old found photographs, something that since seeing this exhibition I have began collecting myself.  I find old images like this really fascinating, especially when found at flea markets sitting in a basket selling for 50 pence each. At times I find these images quite sad as these were real people who once walked on this earth and this documents their existence, their memories, and now they’re forgotten about and out there available for anybody to purchase for such a small price.

I find the way in which Maurizio Anzeri has altered these images with embroidery really fascinating. He’s taken quite traditional, some quite glamorous, stylized photographs and added a very modern and abstract spark to them to create these really unusual pieces of art. I especially like the way in which in many of the images he focuses on one part of their face, such and an eye, and frames it with patterns of thread and ribbons. Many of the images reminded me of aliens as many of the shapes created by the embroidery deform the faces of those in the photograph. I really found this work inspiring as i'm looking into the idea of creative ways to "deface" images.