Amelia Fais Harnas - wine stains

Self-portrait as Saint Pompette, No. 2, detail | 2012 | Damiani Vino Rosso, bronze powder, acrylic on cotton | 29" x 22.5".

Duke (Bacchus) | 2012 | Damiani Vino Rosso, bronze powder, acrylic, polyester thread on cotton | 45” x 32”.

The Three Graces | 2012 | Damiani Vino Rosso, bronze powder, acrylic, metallic thread, polyester thread on cotton | 5’ x 3’. 

 The Winemaker, No. 3 | 2012| Damiani Vino Rosso on cotton | 32” x 30”.

The Consultant | 2012 | Damiani Rougeon on cotton | 28.5” x 20”. 

  

Combining wine, embroidery, acrylic, and bronze powder on a cotton canvas, Amelia Fais Harnas' Wine Stains portraits are remarkable both for their beauty and technique. Because I don't know about you, but this is the first use of wine as ink that I've ever seen, and I can't imagine that anyone could possibly do it better. As Harnas explains of these works:

I create portraits by staining fabric with red wine using a wax resist (much like batiks) to build a light/dark pattern. I may decide to add embroidery (split stitch, to be precise) or machine sewing to reinforce the design or composition. The end result is a blend of chaos and control.

A portrait artist at heart, I am particularly intrigued by the challenge of trying to control the unpredictable nature of wine bleeding through fabric in order to channel the equally imprecise nature of a person’s character. In addition, the sacred aspect of wine lends itself to religious iconography, reminding many of the Shroud of Turin: one who drinks wine may come to feel a certain level of saintliness sipping on this liquid form of divinity. So, this is a form of consecration.  

(Via Colossal)