Wax-dipped Weavings is a set of four, off-loom weavings that are half dipped or completely encased in red wax. These pieces are part of an explorative process on transforming soft, pliable materials into rigid forms. With these four, I am asking how the yarn is physically and thematically changed when sealed in wax.

The physical properties of the yarn are largely overtaken by the wax. Colors are reduced to shades of red, and the weave structure is obscured under thicker layers of wax. The combination of woven fabric and wax does successfully hold a three-dimensional form. They wax provides stability to the yarn, and weave structure provides a framework that prevents the wax from crumbling. I plan to continue experimenting with weave structures and wax mixtures to deduce brittleness and emphasize the weave texture.

The color of the wax and the positive and negative spaces created by the weave structure craft the connotations of the pieces. Red alludes to ceremony or warning, and the coating of wax references a seal. The patterns of the weave structure mimic signal flags, suggesting the presence of a code. What is the coded message of these pieces, and why are they caged, or protected, within a wax seal?