polychromatic thread sculptures plexus by gabriel dawe

‘plexus 12’ by gabriel dawe photo © carlos aleman

designboom has received images from mexican-born gabriel dawe who has created additions to his continuing site-specific installation series entitled ‘plexus’. the artist, formally trained as a graphic designer, generates work as an extension and intersection of his interest in the connection between fashion and architecture, and the ubiquitous sewing machismo of his mother country. primarily focusing on the exploration of the textile medium, dawe uses the ‘plexus’ series to exercise a form of pedantic obsession, assembling thousands upon thousands of colored thread to build a shimmering, vibrant sculpture.

the ongoing project has seen the pieces morph and transform into various delicate polychromamtic masterpieces, cascading through double height gallery spaces and gently twisting across hallways. the meticulous constrcutions are so monumental in their fabrication, their is an almost optical illusory effect produced, precipitated by the organized multicolor array. the pieces not only reference dawe’s investigation into other disciplines, but also to subvert the notion of masculinity attached to the textile field, commenting on the ever-changing yet shared human element of identity.

dawe says of his work:

‘these installations are related as well to the human need for shelter and man’s ultimate vulnerability. one thing fashion and architecture have in common is their function of protecting the individual. by taking the main component of clothing—sewing thread—and generating an architectural structure with it, scale and material are reversed to create a new construction that no longer shelters the material needs of the body, but instead creates something that is symbolic of the nonphysical structures humanity needs to survive as a species‘.

‘plexus 12’ photo © carlos aleman

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 13‘ image courtesy of the artist

‘plexus 14’ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 14’ photo © matthieu kavyrchine

‘plexus 15’ image courtesy of the artist

‘plexus 15’ image courtesy of the artist

‘plexus c2’ being assembled by the artist image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2’ detail showing construction image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ image © gretchen wustrack

‘plexus c2‘ and the artist image © gretchen wustrack