Maurizio Anzeri

I have decided to look closely into works by Maurizio Anzeri  who makes his portraits by sewing directly into found vintage photographs. His embroidered patterns envelop the figures like costumes, but can also suggest a psychological persona,exposing thoughts and feelings. The rough and hazy pix-elated appearance of the photographs is often in contrast with the sharp lines of the threads. The combined media gives the effect of a dimension where history and future collide. Working in a multitude of colours Maurizios work is never confined to one colour pallet through out a collection but uses a plethora dependant on the emotion the image portrays and uses his colour pallet in an emotive way.
I have decided to analyse works from one collection of his that I particularly loved, a collection called "it came from the sky" featured on Dazed and Confused -http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/10468/1/it-came-from-the-sky

  Here you can a beautiful piece by Maurizio commissioned by Dazed and confused magazine, I chose this piece I particularly loved the way in which the artists has used stitches and embroidery to portray a number of things being; emotion, movement, line and colour.

I think the composition of this piece the way the picture has been directed and how the artist has manipulated this picture to enhance the emotive picture with the straight, fine stitches protruding from the mouth almost visually representing a scream. Also this emotion is also enhanced through the beautiful detailed embroidery that elegantly intertwines down the figure face almost engulfing her, which is representational to tears. 

I also love the technique used in this picture especially the more detailed area down the side of the woman's face producing an intricate surface pattern and adding visual texture.

The way in which Maurizio has used this cold turquoise colour connotation to deep the understanding for the emotions the figure is portraying. Which Is something I love about Maurizios work, that he is always just enhancing and adding to what is already there in such a simple yet effective way.

I particularly loved this piece as the way in which it has been hand edited by Maurizio makes it resemble a piece of body adornment. starting from the neck and spreading over and around half the face, almost like a mock up Venetian festival Mask with a modern futuristic twist. Again I love the way Maurizio uses a number of thread techniques to work into this vintage picture.
I think the colours, shapes and composition used in this picture are supposed to represent the crazy youthful persona of the figure, with the different line and shapes adding an edgy feel, plus the pink, black and gold again highlighting that classic rock feeling.


 Out of all of Maurizios works this is my favourite for its abstract approach in developing the vintage 35mm picture and the contrast between the straight silky blue lines and the aggressive messy entangled yellow and red lines. The way this piece uses its primary colours is rather interesting with the warmer colours being the messy abstract lines and the cooler blue being the strictly straight angular lines, almost suggesting two sides to this image. Telling a story through contrast of line colour and compositions  having and over all crazy eye catching appearance. This piece particularly has a very up-cycled feel to me through the contrast of the black and white picture and the colourful abstract lines represented by the thread which makes this piece strong and work very well.

Quote :    "DD: Did you come across any challenges in the project?
Maurizio Anzeri: Every project is a challenge, it was good to draw with threads in a different way and mixing it with embroidery.

DD: When you start a piece do you improvise? Or do you know exactly what you’re going to do?
Maurizio Anzeri: I never know what I am going to do, Once a 'conversation' starts with the piece/photo/face, things starts to happen.

DD: What do you want people to take from your work?

Maurizio Anzeri: EVERYTHING, in one moment!"

From reading this interview from Dazed and Confused with Maurizio I can now see the obstacles I may face when trying to re create a similar technique and how I might approach further development to my initial mixed media developments.
After looking at all of Maurizios work I can see the main trait I will take forward is his trade mark technique, working into vintage pictures with threads to represent line and the way this transcends into an emotive outcome through colour and and composition. For example I could take this technique forward as I develop into my observations and again further develop using a range of mixed media's and threads onto a piece of pre used material that can be up-cycled.