Applied Macrame Art

Knots that were first used to tie up a loose end or to form decorative fringes on a carpet by Arab weavers soon found their way through Spain into Europe, England and the New World. Sailors also used Macramé, as this technique is called, to knot their ropes or even to make products while at sea. Soon this art form found its way to the other side of the world also and was manifested in various forms – rugs, veils, mats, pot holders, belts, jewellery, and even as lace.

Macramé is an art form that uses the technique of knotting yarn to form elaborate or ornamental products. The common materials used in macramé are cotton twine, hemp, leather or yarn. The process involves first setting anchor knots (the amount of yarn used depends on the size of the finished piece) on a stable needle or dowel. Each yarn is then knotted in a particular sequence to form a pattern. Continuous repetition or change of the knots will create a pattern that results in the final product. 

Creating Macramé Knots 

The continuous movement of the fingers while knotting and the counting of stitches require commitment and concentration. The involvement that a person feels in the process of macramé is a deep spiritual experience that many practitioners have used to their personal benefit and growth. One such practitioner is Vladimir Denshchikov, a Ukrainian artist, who has used the technique of macramé in his art since the 1970s. Vladimir paints the faces of holy icons in oil on linen canvas and then works the rest of the art in macramé. Vladimir Denshchikov’s icons are hand-knotted with linen threads (0.5-2 mm) and are made in accordance with church icons.

  

The Mother of God of Tenderness

An icon of 40 x 50 cm in size takes the artist between 3 to 6 months to complete. For the creation of the icon of Saint Prince Alexander Nevsky (see picture below), made of 9 million hand-tied knots, Vladimir took 14 months.  

Vladimir’s art has no parallel in the world – even the material he uses is self-created and patented. Vladimir himself goes through a period of fasting before each artwork is started. In a way, he cleanses himself for his next work of art. And truly, each subsequent work of his is different from the previous one. 

The Mother of God of Kazan

A Christmas Lullaby

Vladimir’s work carries an aura of peace, kindness and gentility. They speak as if to say – that in a common art form there is the opportunity to find a luminous being. Spirituality radiates through these art forms and they teach us that art is everywhere – we only have to want to use it.