Ruth Thomas

ndd/concept

N U A N C E S D E S D É P A R T S

Partir, c'est mourir un peu

This three-part work is based on the poem Rondel de l’Adieu by French poet Edmond Haraucourt (1856–1941), from which comes the proverbial saying To leave is to die a little. This line occurs in every stanza – the poem begins and ends with it.

Here, the poem is translated from the original French, letter by letter, into colours: Each letter and punctuation mark is replaced by a specific hue, while the spaces are silver. Each work represents one of the poem’s three stanzas.

The loose yarn ends are an accidental by-product of the crochet technique used. They form an uncontrolled counterpart to the controlled surface and become an equivalent component of the work.

No voyage without departure, no farewell without loss… Just like colours, farewells have their nuances, so the three works differ. And as each farewell has something in common, the three also form a unit.

(This work was realised as part of the participation in the International miniature textile art exhibition VOYAGE/MATKA at the Suomen Käsityön Museo in Jyväskylä, Finland, organised by the Finnish Association of New Textile Art UUTE ry. The given theme was "Voyage" and the format was limited to max. 20 x 20 x 20 cm.)

(Crocheted kid mohair blend and metallic yarn, 2023)

N U A N C E S D E S D É P A R T S ( 1 / 3 )

Partir, c'est mourir un peu / C'est mourir à ce qu'on aime / On laisse un peu de soi-même / En toute heure et dans tout lieu

To leave is to die a little / It is to die to what we love / We leave a little of ourselves / At any time and in any place

(Crochet work 9 x 9 cm)

N U A N C E S D E S D É P A R T S ( 2 / 3 )

C'est toujours le deuil d'un vœu / Le dernier vers d'un poème / Partir, c'est mourir un peu

It is always the mourning of a wish / The last verse of a poem / To leave is to die a little

(Crochet work 7 x 9 cm)

N U A N C E S D E S D É P A R T S ( 3 / 3 )

Et l'on part, et c'est un jeu / Et jusqu'à l'adieu suprême / C'est son âme que l'on sème / Que l'on sème à chaque adieu… / Partir, c'est mourir un peu

And we leave, and it’s a game / And until the final farewell / It is our soul that we scatter / That we scatter with each farewell... / To leave is to die a little

(Crochet work 11 x 9 cm)

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