Dissections consists of five paired screen prints on paper. The source for the series as five 19th century allover designs used for various decorative objects including textiles, carpets, mosaics, metalwork and manuscripts. These kinds of patterns drew on European arts from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque eras as well as from Middle and Far Eastern traditions. Each pair of plates uses one of the designs as its source. The “images,” which suggest insects and butterflies, are fragments of these historical patterns, created by excising them from their surroundings. The edited motifs are arranged symmetrically to suggest encylopedia pages or natural history displays.

Thib’s interest in the traditional relationships between nature and culture, and the copy and the original is pronounced in this piece, which represents four black designs, arranged symmetrically on paper. The designs are representations of 19th century decorative motifs (for textiles and mosaics, for instance) that were inspired by historical and Eastern arts traditions. Thib’s manipulations of historical designs in this work produced unsettling effects. Old motifs, fragmented and removed from their original surroundings, resemble insects. The symmetrical arrangement of the designs recalls displays at natural history museums and in encylcopedias.

This piece is part of Thib’s “Dissections” series, which includes five paired screenprints on paper.