Harriet Hammel is a soft sculptor from London.
I was really impressed by her body of work, so I contacted Harriet to find out more.
“While in my final year of a Graphic Design course at Ealing School of Art, I was inspired by a visit to the Claes Oldenberg exhibition in London. I had never heard of “soft sculpture” before. As I had been making soft animals from the age of 10, I knew that this was a medium that I could control and excel in.
“From that moment, all my projects involved soft sculptures, and I obtained a Distinction in my graduating certificate. The essence of my art is to recreate objects that are normally hard and/or aggressive, so creating a visual and tactile contradiction. I use fabrics that resemble the real thing; satin for metal, organza for glass, corduroy for rubber tyres, etc.
“But I have [recently] taken up the needle and thread again, with even more attention to detail than before. Recent work includes soft cigarettes burning in ashtrays, a soft laptop computer, spraypaint cans (the preferred brand of graffiti artists) and Weapons of Soft Construction, the ultimate demonstration of my art: realistic looking machine gun, hand grenades, pistols and knives, rendered completely harmless and impotent.”
I love Harriet’s work on many levels. From a technical perspective I am astonished by her ability to manipulate the textiles to create these forms. Creating a soft sculpture motorbike is surreal and fantastic and a technical masterwork.
Harriet’s work is infused with a terrific sense of humour and passion, and I love that she chooses objects that are everyday and seemingly mundane. The transformation to soft sculpture brings them to life.
I’m very glad to have found Harriet. Her work puts a smile on my face, and is inspirational. Go and visit her website and give her some love. Ladies and gentleman, Harriet Hammel.
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The Cutting (& Stitching) Edge is brought to you in association with PUSH: Stitchery, the contemporary embroidered art book curated by Jamie Chalmers. Featuring 30 textile-based artists from around the world, it’s a must have for needlework fans.
Mr X
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22 April 2010 at 9:13 am
yay! woo! harriet hammel!
22 April 2010 at 11:30 am
I absolutely LOVE her work. 🙂
22 April 2010 at 3:45 pm
She is a creative force! What a fantastic vision she posesses!
22 April 2010 at 6:36 pm
Her attention to detail in both the construction and the decoration is unfathomable to me. I’d give up before the planning was done.
23 April 2010 at 9:46 am
When I met Harriet she asked me if I was Screaming Lulu. Chuckles!
She’s awesome- she also sells her work devestatingly cheap, which makes me sad! They should be on sale for hunners of pounds!
23 April 2010 at 12:56 pm
Where did you meet Harriet? I’d love to meet her.
24 July 2010 at 12:46 pm
Thanks for the great comments! I met Rosa at the PV of the show we were both included in – Renegade Potters and Extreme Craft – at the ink-d gallery in Brighton, back in March.