My ideas have developed quite significantly since my last art scraps post...I have been researching Turkish tradition as I want it to feature in my work and I learnt about 'wish trees' a tradition that features in many cultures including Turkey, each with different specifics about how the tradition is carried out. In Turkey people tie a strip of fabric around a tree branch which signifies a hope or wish for the future, it is believed that the wish will come true if the fabric is tied. I wanted to incorporate this into one of my sculptures so began stringing twine in dense rows across my steel frame and tying strips of fabric to create a kind of weave that also harks back to the wish tree tradition. Initially I was using all different colours and fabrics as in Turkey it seems that nothing can be aesthetically too decorative, but then decided to refine the sculpture to being tones of blue, teal and purple which reflect the glittering colour of the Bosphorus. This sculpture will be part of a series of three using different manipulations of fabric on a steel frame.
When in Bulgaria I found a further representation of wish tree tradition. From March 1st Bulgarians often wear a red and white thread on their person called a Martenitsa, this represents the festival period of Baba Marta (Grandmother March) and is connected to the beginning of Spring season. When the wearer sees a budding blossom tree, a swallow, or a stork they tie the Martenitsa to the blossoming tree, this is supposed to bring health and luck for the forthcoming season.
A similar introduction to the beginning of Spring takes place in Istanbul on May 5th in the form of Hidrellez Festival, here this festival also celebrates the coming of a prophet who grants health and wishes, wish trees are used within the festival which I plan to attend in 3 days time...keep your eyes peeled for more blog posts on this...in the mean time have a read about it!
---> http://www.hidrellez.org/english.asp x
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