Bacteriology Illustrated
Text meets textile in this dress made from a complete medical textbook.
'Initially I read each page then tore it up. I planned to isolate key words placing bite size piece in their own pocket. However, it soon became important not to discard anything and I like to be precise. So the 130 pieces of each sheet were placed in correct sequence to form reconstructed paired pages across the weft. Running along the warp two by two for 610 rows, there are 15,860 pockets in total.
The language of dressmaking and tailoring becomes layered with a different set of meanings when applied to ideas concerning infectious disease. The boned corset constrains the body, the boned book cover both holds the information within and tries to control the billowing spreading fabric.'
– Susie Freeman
“Bacteriology Illustrated was part of an early Science Gallery flagship show INFECTIOUS in Dublin. Our vision was to ignite creativity and discovery where science and art collide. Susie’s beautifully intricate textile work intrigued our audiences and engaged them in a process of considering their own and society’s relationship to commonly prescribed drugs and the medical world in general.”
