Missded

With these small-scale stitched works, inspired by the collection of fabric tokens at the Foundling Museum in London, I wanted to convey not only the contrast between the times I have my children and when I don’t, but also the sense of absence I carry around when they’re away. The title, ‘Missded’ is how my then 3 year old son pronounced the word ‘missed’ when saying that he’d missed me and the pieces – or tokens, are cut from stitched versions of drawings my son has made, or I have made with him.

More entries on 'Missded'

‘Missded’ 4

I've finally finished stitching the fourth in the 'Missded' series of stitched works which I began some time ago. The complete piece, prior to being cut into 'tokens' can be seen below ...

‘Missded’ 2 – Tokens

Having completed the stitching for ‘”Missded’ 2″, I’ve now cut it up to create the ‘tokens’ shown below ...

‘Missded’ 2

I recently completed the third (although titled as the second) in my series of stitched works based on drawings completed by me and my son several months ago. Tomorrow I will cut the piece up to create the 'tokens'. The ...

‘Missded’ 3 – Tokens

Having completed the stitching for '"Missded' 3", I've now cut it up to create the 'tokens' shown below ...

‘Missded’ 3

I've finally completed another of the stitched works - "'Missded' 3". Below is the original drawing made by me and my son ...

‘Missded’ 1 – A Framed Token

When one of the ‘tokens’ is put in a frame, it becomes a thing in its own right; a fragment still, but one quite divorced from the others and from that from which they were cut. What started with this (a drawing made in seconds by ...

Morning Has Broken

Following on from my last post, I've now completed all the tokens along with another piece comprising some of them stitched back together. In the eighteenth century, some mothers would reclaim their children from the Foundling hospital and one supposes ...

Tokens of absence

A few months ago I visited the Foundling Hospital in London, established in 1739 to receive and care for abandoned children. It was a deeply emotional experience, not least because of the tokens left by mothers with their babies as a ...

‘Missded’ 1, stitched

The stitched versions of my son’s drawings are objects which, in contrast to the quickly made drawings on which they're based, take many hours to complete; a contrast that speaks of the difference between the relatively short times I have the ...

‘Missded’ 3

The latest in a series of works entitled 'Missded'. Photos below show original drawing, tracing and template drawn onto canvas ...

‘Missded’ 2

Second piece showing original drawing, tracing and template drawn onto canvas ...

‘Missded’ 1

The images below show the three stages (so far completed) of the first in a series of works entitled "Missded". The word 'missded' is one my son used when he'd said he'd missed me: "I missded you daddy". The first ...

Tracings

When you're a father, separated from your children a few days each week, the things you do with your children when you have them become especially precious. I find I take more photographs when I have them as they somehow sustain ...