Modern Berlin Work – Fantastic Embroidery Berlin Work – For me, the numbered patterns of the 19th century and the patterns for Jacquard weave were the first detailed pictures which were laid over a grid in order for them to be reproduced.  Today, this is obvious, whether by printer, television or computer. Since my studies at the start of the 1980s in Hanover, much has changed. We still drew our designs by hand on cartridge paper (washable card in various sizes) like in the 19th century.  Today there are computer programs for doing this, but the principle has not changed. If I do not know which “box” to fill in, the computer cannot help me either.

detail from: Portal at the Attic

 

When I speak of modern Berlin Work, I mean the blanketing, detailed embroidery in Gobelin or petit point stitch, now mostly in cross-stitch, according to a numbered pattern. I do not refer to the material of “wool embroidery” as it was originally called. Moreover, for me this means avoiding backstitches (= Holbein stitches).  The various surfaces and spatial dimensions are produced by colours rather than by lines. Furthermore, this involves converting a pattern into a countable stitch grid, a reduced number of colours and categorisation into groups of thread based on the embroidery technique. These factors produce the style of tapestry embroidery which cannot easily be distinguished from other techniques such as pointillism or a portrait.  The patterns’ images in the last century were portraits or drawings, today it is photography which controls all aspects and which I use for the original design.  But, just as the embroidered rose of the Biedermeiers was not an oil painting, so my pictures are not photographs but free interpretations.  I do not use photographs in order to convert them into another medium, but as possibilities for creating patterns for illusionary embroideries with modern technology.

detail from: Palace of the Zebras