Researching a creative practitioner who inspires me
Inge Jacobsen is a professional artist with a Bachelors degree in Fine Art Photography from Kingston University. She “transforms mass-consumed images into individual commentaries on fashion, gender and marketing.” She has worked on commissions for WIRED Magazine UK and Vogue and exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, the Tate Britain and the gallery owned by the photographer Nick Knight.
“Jacobsen uses embroidery, thread and weaving to ‘hijack’ images”
This “hijacking” is done to manipulate found images from magazines and newspapers. Jacobsen is particularly interested in women because of her process. Embroidery is “largely seen as a woman’s craft” so this creates an interesting parallel between her subject matter and medium.
I am inspired by Jacobsen’s work because it is experimental and refined. Her technique and style is clear and confident, yet the work still feels energetic and unique every time. The technique of manipulating found images is powerful and creates a bold statement.
By manipulating an image you are changing the context and the concept. I enjoy experimenting with collage to do this. I take found images and cut bits out, cover parts up or add new elements that can create a surreal and experimental image. I find it is a helpful technique to begin creating imagery so my ideas start to flow, as well as using collage for final imagery. Jacobsen uses found images and manipulates them with thread to create new images and new perspectives. This inspires me to take my collaging further and to use new materials and new techniques to manipulate the the image even further.
This image is from the Consumed Series. The collection uses images from fashion campaigns and I interpret it as commenting on fast fashion and the overpowering and overwhelming nature of that industry. The models have coloured thread pouring out of their eyes and mouths. These images feel more conceptual than Jacobsen’s commissioned work.
Jacobsen’s “hijacked” editorial and newspaper images also feel conceptual. Each image stands alone and has its own context. I interpret the collection as a whole as a woman’s view of women. Jacobsen is manipulating these images by adding details and creativity. The new view of these images in some cases are abstract and creative and in others more realistic. The texture of the thread juxtaposes the shiny magazine paper in an abrupt way. The use of embroidery to manipulate a woman’s image could be interpreted as ironic or as powerful. Either Jacobsen is criticising the fashion industry and the view of the female body in society, or she is reclaiming the female image and empowering it; or both.
Finally, Jacobsen’s Woven Imagery is about “disrupting” the image. It breaks up the view of the female, like looking through a bathroom window or broken lens. Perhaps it is to protect the figure from the public eye, or it is about looking at the image in a new perspective. By breaking up the image, different sections are highlighted that we may not have noticed before.
With reflection, I am inspired by Jacobsen’s processes and her concepts. As I have previously explored with Lorna Simpson’s work, I am very interested in social and political issues and using art and design to communicate these ideas can be very powerful. It is also important to consider how methods and materials can support a concept as well as the final outcome and imagery.
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Reference for quotes and images: https://www.ingejacobsen.com (Date Accessed: 16/06/2021)