From velvet and vintage textiles, Larysa Bernhardt embroidery medium otherworldly moths – Huge
“The myths and folklore surrounding moths and butterflies have complex symbolic and sometimes even contradictory symbolic meanings,” said artist Larysa Bernhardt. “I was always attracted by their paradoxical nature.” On the one hand, she was afraid that certain types of winged creatures would appear in her home because they pose a risk to textiles, but she was fascinated by their changes and loved to see them flourish.
Dualities abound in Bernhardt’s sculptures, embroidered textile moths. Her creative process begins outdoors, seemingly unrelated studios (her gardens). The artist said the artist tends to a “moon garden” every summer, including fragrant botanicals such as tobacco, moonflowers, datura and jasmine, which emit “glow like stars in the dark” on the air and small white flowers. Sphinx and Luna Moth are frequently visited, accompanied by thousands of fireflies.
When the sun rises, the garden turns into a riot of colors, and Chinias, poppies and roses attract daytime pollinators such as butterflies and bees. “It’s duality – night and daytime, sun and moon, moths and butterflies” fascinated Bernhardt. She added: “It’s a very complex balancing act that I’m always fascinated with.”
To reflect the soft ambiguity of insect wings, artists like to work with velvet to achieve the elegance and whimsicality of moths. This is a challenging material because the pile can be ruthless. Make a mistake, the ghost of the stitch will remain on the fabric. Bernhardt stretches out his hands when he applies patterns on his wings from a loose sketch, but allows intuition to guide her to create star-like patterns and symbolic objects (such as vases or eyes).
Bernhardt also likes to use old-fashioned needles and old tapestries. “I found textiles in the dusty corner of the antique shop; I love these discoveries,” she said. “I like to give them another chance to get back to the wall and be respected again and cherish.”
The artist’s works are currently included in Eve’s daughter Weird foxes and By the sea At the Nanny Goat Gallery in Petaluma, California. In August, Bernhardt will be part of the exhibition at the Beinart Gallery in Melbourne, where she is currently conducting an exhibition at Haven Gallery in Long Island, New York. Find more on her website and on Instagram.
