Tianmiao Bound

Tianmio’s installation Bound and Unbound uses the technique of thread winding to its absolute capacity, the title could not possibly fit more. In comparison to her other works, this one is quiet, almost dull. In a run down room, more than 500 modern artifacts cover the floor, each individually wrapped in thread. The objects including kitchen tools and toys, seem like mystical, transformed versions of themselves. Making this piece the most unique to her many installations is the contribution of her husband, a videographer. On a wall of the room, threads hang to create a screen where a video is projected, depicting a hand guiding a pair of sharp shears through the curtain. The gesture itself is left up to interpretation, as are many works of art, but in the context of this specific piece, the display could mean unjustified violence, or a release from oppression. Tianmiao’s integration of style, using items that are otherwise meaningless and turning them into a piece that combats Chinese …show more content…
The use of hair, felt, cotton, and silk, channels her memories as a child. These basic materials draw the attention of the viewer away from the material world and into the present, physical world. A slap at China’s Imperial ties, and materialistic society by the use of silk, while also showcasing the beauty and bond to nature of these materials; silk is made by worms and is a very earthly material even though it signifies luxury. The use of silk in her work showcases these ideas while also placing emphasis on the the pleasant and unpleasant realities in which are faced in China. As an artist, Tianmiao hopes to draw other Chinese artists back to this idea by incorporating components of tradition to their contemporary art. She says she wants “Artists [to] look back to tradition and want to experiment with the physical nature of their