Body Blot #1 (work of art)
Artwork Info
Key Ideas
- Artist Andrea Donnelly used photos of herself as references for the inkblot design on this woven cloth.
- The two human figures in the inkblot design are nearly symmetrical (but not exactly). This represents the imperfection of being human.
- Donnelly’s interests in art and psychology come together in her artwork. She is inspired by the connection between humans and cloth.
- The inkblot design looks similar to a Rorschach inkblot test.
Learn More
Artist Andrea Donnelly was raised in North Carolina. She creates large, woven textile works that feature human figures. Her work explores the contrast between the precision of weaving by hand and the unpredictable qualities of ink. Donnelly uses photography to create the human figures in her work. She uses cloth to create a mirror image of the figure through a process of “dyeing, weaving, unweaving, and reweaving.”
Through passage of time and rhythm of repetition, the actions of weaving are captured and layered like memory in the buildup of thread upon thread.
Andrea Donnelly
To create Body Blot #1, Donnelly photographed herself in different poses. She says her interest in the inkblot effect “is not in perfect symmetry.” She is interested in the beauty of the design’s imperfections. Her designs represent the experience of being an imperfect human as well as her interest in psychology. The inkblot designs in Donnelly’s work look similar to Rorschach inkblot tests. These tests were originally used to diagnose psychological disorders.
tags: contemporary, artist’s process
Additional Resources
Resources for Teachers:
- Explore a weaving activity that combines art and math.
- View the artist’s website to see more examples of her work.
- Watch a video about the controversy surrounding Rorschach tests.
Resources for Students:
- Watch a video about Andrea Donnelly’s artistic process.
- Play an art game to learn more about symmetry.
- Watch a video to learn how to create inkblot artwork.
Images
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Body Blot #1