Josie Eccleston

Digital Folklore

The work consists of two distinct elements: a tapestry and a set of embroideries. The machine woven tapestry is of a digital collage, images of clipart, memes, objects and text. Some images derived from online sources and others drawn or photographed by myself. The imagery chosen retells an Irish myth about Fionn McCool’s son Oisin, travelling to Tír na nÓg (the land of the fairies). Next to the tapestry are the four hand embroideries of digital imagery, some with text written by me. The embroideries depict a sultry emoji, sonic the hedgehog, a virtual dress up doll and Garfield. The text expresses vague platitudes, combining formal language with sentiments often shared in online spaces. The embroideries are essentially hand made memes - though I actively avoided recreating existing memes, all the elements are present. The embroideries are framed in acrylic sheets, cut in jagged/abstracted shapes, held together with steel nuts and bolds, hung with chains. The imagery chosen for both elements of the work is distinctly digital, insofar as the imagery can and is used online as a kind of stand-in for users of social media. When expressing thoughts, feelings, bad jokes, presenting them under the guise of a poorly drawn hedgehog seems to make them easier to swallow. Memes and their inherent elements can be understood as simulacra; existing separate from the people who made them.

“In the year of our Lord 2022 human culture has reached its pinnacle in the online sphere. All things are documented and recorded, easily accessed at any time by anyone. However, it has become ever more apparent that the state of information is in a digital dark age; backwards compatibility issues along with digital decay has resulted in years of content and information being lost. In order to preserve something it is suggested that it be reproduced physically, where it can be kept safe. Through reproducing online content in the form of textiles, my work calls into question what value digital imagery has and what is worth keeping. Examining virtual content through the lens of Irish myth I draw parallels between the two in their inherent ephemerality. The druids refused to write anything down, I doubt they would have put it on the internet.”