Head-Twisting Woven Sculptures Put a New Face on Art

Head-Twisting Woven Sculptures Put a New Face on Art

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At first glance, it might be difficult to wrap your head around a series of works by Italian artist Gianluca Traina called “Portrait 360,” but that’s just because of the way he’s wrapped images around each other to make sculptures of heads.

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Inspired by the mosaics of the Byzantine Empire, as well as the warp and weft technique in traditional weaving, Traina developed a complex method of cutting and entwining strips of paper into the shape of a human head. This process, combined with the digital images that he designs and prints onto fabric, results in his uncanny sculptures.

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What I find so intriguing about this series of work is the innovative way that Traina mixes traditional weaving concepts with digital photography. The results juxtapose familiar textures, shapes, and images in such an unfamiliar way that trying to visually deconstruct them almost feels like playing some sort of conceptual game!

[via Hi Fructose]

4 thoughts on “Head-Twisting Woven Sculptures Put a New Face on Art

  1. Gianluca Traina says:

    thank you ;)

    1. Andrew Salomone says:

      Your work is amazing!

  2. Şükrü Kuleli says:

    Fantastico Desingner.. http://www.kulelitutuncusu.com

  3. Sandrine says:

    Interesting indeed… I kind of like it ! :)

  4. Caramel Chelle says:

    At first I thought the sculptures were 3D prints but the method the artist used sounds more fascinating. Great work!

  5. GuatemalanHousekeeper says:

    These are awful. Art? subjective term. IMHO “art” would be celebrating the beauty of the human form- as in the Greek sculptures of fame, Reuben’s portraits- does anyone believe these malformed and monstrous sculptures will be displayed in any museum generations from now..?

  6. Helen Rae Gift says:

    Fantastic work, Gianluca Traina.

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Artist, writer, and teacher who makes work about popular culture, technology, and traditional craft processes. http://www.andrewsalomone.com

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