Practices for the usage of fiber as a material in contemporary portrait art

Thread has become a very interesting material for artists today. Artists have highlighted the different qualities of thread and have gone to different ways of expression in their works. Thread has been used as a line, as well as its perceptible structure, color, texture, thickness, hardness or softness, which have made thread attractive to artists. When we look at the history of thread, although there is no clear information about its first use, we see that people invented the art of weaving thread by making thread from fibers. Thus, people used thread both for their clothing and for the construction of their shelters. They obtained woven clothes by combining leather and fur with needles they made from animal bones. The oldest woven garment, dating back to 7,000 BC, was found in Turkey, while the oldest needlework, dating back to 6,500 BC, was found in Israel. In the 18th century, with the Industrial Revolution, mass production began. With the Industrial Revolution, as handicrafts were also on the verge of extinction, the Art&Craft movement emerged in England as a reaction to this. In the 20th century, artists began to prefer different ways of expression. With the Bauhaus School embracing the concepts of creativity and design, emphasis was placed on tapestry, fabric and needlework. Thus, embroidery shed its craft identity and gained an artistic identity. Gunta Stölz, Anni Albers and Otto Berger, who participated in the 1st Lausanne Tepestry Biennial, are artists from the Bauhaus family who contributed to the formation of fiber art. The contributions of contemporary artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Sheila Hicks, Claire Zeisler and Lenore Tawney to fiber art have also led to this field gaining a more solid place in art. In this study, portrait art, artists, contemporary portrait art and artists are examined. This study aims to investigate the development and transformation of my personal art productions together with my productions in the context of the formation of my own artistic language in the light of the findings obtained during the examination process.