Diane DallasKidd

Punch Card Statement

 

This series of works was inspired by the roots of computer data storage in the Jacquard loom punch cards originally used for weaving complex patterns. Using an awl, I pierced holes through painted paper to create tactile patterns, employing the contrast of the white torn edges against the matte black background. The Jacquard Loom, invented in the early 1800s and still used today, is controlled by a chain of multiple cards punched with holes that determine which cords of the warp threads should be raised for each pass of the shuttle that carries the weft. The loom created raised motifs and blended graphic patterns with textiles. These punch cards sparked ideas for computer data science innovations to follow.