JANE SOLOMON:
HIV PRINTS
”The inspiration and motivation to create the Lifelines and Positive Power prints comes from my work with courageous and beautiful women, who live positively with HIV, in Southern Africa. This work involves facilitating body mapping workshops where narrative therapy and art-making are used as tools to create life size body portraits and share (talk about) life experiences. Often in Southern Africa, when someone is diagnosed with HIV, they feel labeled as a PLWHA (Person living with HIV and Aids) and that this is then the most important part of their identity .These workshops aim to shift this branding. Alongside many other exercises participants draw the HI virus onto their body outlines. The virus emerges in a variety of shapes, colours and textures. After completing the lifesize portraits (bodymaps) and looking at the image the women observe that being HIV positive is a small part of who they are and are able to accept and incorporate the virus into their bigger identity so as to be able to live positive lives”
The Positive Power and lifelines prints have been exhibited at the following exhibitions:
SOUTH Design Indaba, Cape Town (2009)
Positive Power Print
Dimensions: 1.8m X 2.1m
Medium: Screen-printed pattern on “bought” blanket
The Positive Power print is inspired by “folk/hippy” floral textiles. However, the starting point and motif for this print is the HI virus. This has been used in the same way a textile designer may use a teacup as the main motif for a fabric design. The “flowers” that make up the pattern have been created by collaging (mutating) elements from a variety of medical diagrams of the HI virus. The viruses (flowers) become weird and wonderful symbols.
The HIV images have intentionally been used to create an aesthetically pleasing, (decorative) design. When looking at the print without knowing the content a viewer may be heard to express “What a wonderful design. I love it” It is then difficult for the same viewer to express distaste (when reading or hearing that the image is the HI virus) without observing their own prejudice towards HIV. It is hoped that this design works to shift prevalent stigma and discrimination towards the virus and people living with HIV.
The design is screen-printed in red onto a bought, cream initiation blanket. A blanket is something that you go to sleep with and is part of our everyday life. Printing images of the virus onto the blanket helps to initiate the audience (user) into normalizing the HI virus, it exists as part of our day to day life.
The positive power blanket is a celebration of the courage, dedication and power of all people living with HIV who have grown to live and love – free positive lives,
THE STATE OF THINGS Design Museum Holon, Israel (2010)
Lifelines textile
Medium: Light blue, indigo and gold screen-print on 100% cotton indigo fabric.
Dimensions: 2.5m X 1.5m
The motif for this print is the photographic image of the HI virus greatly enlarged. In the print lines link the viruses. Each virus becomes a meeting point, a place of convergence. The lines are the channels that link people affected by or infected with the HI virus to the support: information, access to treatment, food, water and even money that they need. These support systems exist in homes, villages, towns, cities and countries across Southern Africa and often necessitate the migration of people by foot, taxi, bus, train and air to find what they need to survive. The lines also represent the footpaths of the many volunteer community workers who walk long distances to assist others.
As I have observed it, this network overcomes social, gender, cultural and class barriers. The lifelines print shows the interconnectedness of what it means to be human and stay alive in the face of an epidemic. New channels of communication have opened.
The fabric is inspired by African indigo resist-dyed cotton textiles.
SPIER CONTEMPORARY Cape Town (2010)
“Fabric is to Africa what monuments are to the West” – Yinka Shonibare
Metres and metres of Positive Power fabric exhibit the repeat pattern of many, many viruses. There are approximately 5.6 million people living with HIV in South Africa. Some of these people are on anti-retroviral treatment and are able to live free, positive lives.
However the well being and lives of many people living with HIV is dependent on the government providing access and availability of quality anti-retroviral treatment to those who are already on treatment and to those who still require treatment. As citizens we need to do what we can to make sure this promise is delivered on.
Positive Power Fabric
Dimensions: 35 meters X 1.5m
Medium: Gold screen- print on black hopsack
