“In Between the Lines”
(Done in Collaboration with Issay Rodriguez)
Installation Work (Crochet, Sewing & Embroidery)
Variable Size
2016
Shown in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for Art Dubai 2016′s Marker Exhibition (curated by Ringo Bunoan)
“In Between the Lines” is a collaborative work that looks into the invisible labor involved in studying, where one is often required to produce outputs that are regarded as a means of measuring one’s advancement in skill and comprehension. Here, the work deals with this process-product relationship by employing the laborious craft of crochet to create several pieces that imitate the appearance of several kinds of paper specifically used in school, such as yellow pad paper, notepads and graphing paper.
Katherine Nuñez’ take off point for “In Between The Lines” came from her “Objection” work entitled “Soft Machines.” She employed the arduous process of crochet to substitute mass-production in creating disposable banal objects usually found in our homes such as a telephone and a clothes iron. As such, labor is put at the forefront, rather than functionality, in order to look at the ideas which revolve around excess, expendability and value in relation to consumption. For Art Dubai, Nuñez’ work again employs the laborious craft of crochet to create pieces that imitate the appearance of several kinds of paper specifically used in school, such as yellow pad papers, notepads, post-its and bond papers. The “papers” shown in the work are blank, emphasizing the labor done to create each piece, which under the standards of a product-driven schooling are regarded as ineffectual for an empty sheet of paper will always be seen as what it is: an empty piece of paper, rather than an object that aims to look at an alternative way of learning where one can exercise competency, criticality and autonomy.
This matter is especially relevant in the Philippines due to the recent implementation of an educational system which supports the production of graduates who can readily be employed by foreign companies. Thus it caters to a school system that utilizes a pre-packaged curriculum designed to cut, mold, and sculpt an individual according to certain global needs. This greatly affects the demand on courses that are related to the arts and humanities; most especially since the students in these programs are encouraged to be critical and are not specifically groomed for the global market place. Nuñez’s crocheted papers study desk paraphernalia (paper clips, fasteners, etc.) looks into the invisible efforts and labor involved in learning that is situated outside this type of education.
In this day and age where technology seems to pre-occupy much of our daily routine, going back to manual, analog and grounded realities is a breath of fresh air. “In Between The Lines” is relevant due to its physicality, dexterity and metaphorical value. It brings to fore the various layers related to labor, learning and the combination of labor and learning.
