Withered Leaf - Artwork
Cecile Le Roux, a previous client, commissioned me to design an artwork for a specific outdoor area to compliment the existing garden and pool setting of their beautiful Stellenbosch residence. The concept of choice was a withered leaf, hand made of copper wire.
Different colours and thicknesses of copper wire were woven together using various crochet and knitting methods to form the structure of this 1.6 x 2.7m art piece. This undertaking involved 370 hours of meticulous knitting together with the help of 2 other artists.
The idea is that as the artwork gets exposed to the outdoor elements, the copper oxidises causing the colour of the leaf to change continuously as time passes, mimicking the effect of a decaying leaf. What would otherwise be a static piece, at the same time ceaselessly keeps on transforming through time and light conditions giving the withered leaf a continuous beauty to appreciate.
Here follows a short testimonial form Cecile:
“Joan’s creativity continues to amaze me. She thinks out of the box and, more importantly, does not flinch from going where no-one has gone before. Who would have thought that one could knit and crochet in copper wire? But this is what she did, creating a beautiful and unique artwork that will change with time, exactly like the decaying leaf that it represents.”
Thanks to Christine Goosen and Lee Helme for their hours of skillfull knitting.
