For the past couple months I've been experimenting with a new material--pig intestines. No I didn't harvest the guts of a pig. I bought them from a butcher where they are used as sausage casings. I received them relatively clean and packed in a salt brine. They do have a distinct scent but not a bad as I expected. The first day I played with them I didn't rinse them well enough and my attempts dried with a crusty layer of salt. Now I rinse and double rinse. When I run water through them they balloon and display their fibrous membrane--an exquisite lace pattern.
When the gut is wet it is a bit stretchy and adheres to itself. Pieces can be cut and layered, overlapping slightly to create a bond. When fully dry the gut becomes translucent. It has a skin-like quality which is what attracted me to it in the first place. My curiosity was sparked when I came across an image online of native Alaskan art using seal and pig intestines. Digging around some more I found the work of fiber artist, Pat Hickman--that's when I knew I had to try this material.
Through trial and much error I've been exploring the possibilities of gut. I've layered, molded, stitched, knotted and wound it into and onto various forms. Small studies are laying about the studio--some will be pitched and others pursued.
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