Shattered by Touch  (2026)


A pair of French Rococo figured silk fragments, likely 1740-1780 and probably bed curtains from a wealthy household. The silk arrived badly damaged, its weft dissolving along the edges to the point of giving way at touch, with sharp cuts in places. A bolt of vintage linen, ovelocked, torn, pieced and handsewn, supports the considrable weight. Machine stitching in polyester orange and neon green threads attempts to hold the accelerating damage. The more the fabric was touched, the more it disintegrated.

Silk, linen, polyester

215 x 108cm






© Hatty Buchanan 2026