Here’s something you don’t see every day from IAM: Beju. Now I’m pretty certain the bricks are painted on, but the weaving over the eye is definitely real. There’s a lot going on here, with the collar, the bricks and the threading, giving this photo a sort of ominous vibe, touching on institutionalization as well as confinement and religion. Overall, it’s just a fantastic photo.
Surface weaving is an interesting form of modification. Originally the term was applied to larger pieces of jewelry the wove its way through the surface of the skin. Recent additions to the surface weaving gallery on the other hand have taken on an artistic flair, with the weaves being done with various flexible materials to create a design that is meant to be temporary modification, much like corseting is done for photo shoots.
Today, we’re taking a look at a surface weave that initially appears to be a temporary show piece, but in the end it turns into a unique way to craft a scar. Orrnahitsn sent in these photos of the work by Kim Hutchinson (Skin Seamstress).
So this is the weave right after it was completed.
Keep reading to see how this was transformed into a scar.
After 2 weeks you can see that some of the weaves have broken through the skin, but it is still maintaining the shape.
Just a couple of days later, even more of the seams have broken and the ones that haven’t appear to be irritated and possibly rejecting.
Finally, after four months, the weave is gone, but what remains is a scar that was created in an interesting manner.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a surface weaving project of this scope, and seeing as how it is by Arawak from Saintes, France, the man responsible for the Marilyn Munroe portrait, it’s nice to see a follow up to the piece.
I really like how the Charlie Chaplin image is able to take a simple play piercing design, and connect the dots to form a distinct image. The surface weaving gallery is pretty small so if this is something you’re capable of doing, please send in the images, as the potential for some incredible designs is huge with this technique.
If you want to see the before and after images, just keep on reading.
Now I know that right away you can see that the original image has been slightly photoshopped. Normally I wouldn’t post an image that is obviously photoshopped, but given that it is only to remove the tattoo, and the galleries show that Arawak has done this type of project before, I don’t believe anything dealing with the surface weaving specifically has been altered in any way.
Alex did a Marylin Monroe surface weaving. This is definitely different than your standard play piercing session. Arawak from Saintes, France did the weaving though there wasn’t much info on the “why?”, not that we need a reason, it’s just nice to have sometimes. Check the galleries for more photos of the weaving.
See more in “Surface Weaving“ (Surface & Unusual Piercing)