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VICE: Hello Chromium Dumb Belle. Can you please tell me about the connection between dance and embroidery?
Chromium Dumb Belle: Well, I think there is dance in everything, every little thing around us is a dance. Embroidery is so rhythmic and I can only stitch as fast as my heart beats. I get into a bit of a trance and I can feel the needle enter the fabric at the same time the heart beats. The needle and thread, the piece I'm working on becomes another part of my body. So, you kind of become a sort of human dance machine thingy.It allows me to remove that artificial structure built around us for a second, reconnect with my natural body rhythm, instead of forcing it into an unnatural accelerated pace.

I didn't know I love scarves that much! I do looove floaty billowy fabrics and silks, fabrics that dance. I'm just really obsessed with dance theatre--the art, history, design, costume, everything about it. It's its own kingdom that really inspires me.
And then there’s the obsession with the mantis. What’s that about?
I'm pretty fascinated with insects lately, the mantis is probably the most beautiful insect I ever saw. It's like an exotic living origami jewel, and those things can DANCE. I love how mechanical they look. I'm hoping to get one after this show, actually…. We shall see.
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The Biba Dolls book was something I did a long time ago. I was collecting old Biba for years so that's where that interest came from. It was a short run, and self-published. At the time there was no real interest in Biba, there was only one other book out at the time that Barbara Hulanicki did back in the 80s or something, so I didn't really think it would get the interest it did a few years later. I may publish a second edition again one day. It seems a shame it was such a short run. When Biba relaunched they were going to publish another edition but it just didn't happen. It's a sort of long-lost friend right now.


Owleyes and I collaborated on this together, we've been really inspired by each other’s work for years. The way my appliqué and embroidery work is assembled is the same way Owleyes assembles his [work], so we have a natural understanding of what the other is doing already. We haven't put our usual sort of work together for this show though.We are both super inspired by the old world of the theatre--we made our own props, we staged the sets, designed costumes, and pretty much created a world for us to step into and become the creatures that we create in our other work. We also just did our own stuff that's there side-by-side, but everything has an element of the other’s work in it hidden somewhere.Machine DancesAugust 25 through September 11
Opening reception August 25, 8:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Sancho Gallery
1549 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles