The Gillies Archive holds the photographs and case notes that document the evolution of the facial reconstructive surgery techniques developed by Sir Harold Delf Gillies after World War I.
The artist Paddy Hartley has created a series of mixed-media/fiber works in response to what he learned about the lives of the men who underwent these pioneering surgeries, called Project Facade.
For the Project, Hartley constructs, alters and then embroiders uniforms that resemble those of World War I soldiers.
According to the website, "Each garment tells the fragmented personal history of a man who had to go back to his families with a seamed and shattered face." The uniforms are a kind of collage, alive with the stories of each man's life. They are beautiful, heartbreaking and complicated.
The broad masculinity of Project Facade is unusual in this stereotypically female domain - fiber and needlework.
The artist is male and the subjects embody masculine ideals - they are soldiers, war heroes, husbands and fathers. Such a patchwork of male-ness is seldom seen in fiber art.
You can see Hartley's work in person at Pricked: Extreme Embroidery, on view at the Museum of Art and Design in New York until March 9, 2008 or at Project Facade online.
Take time to explore the website, but be cautious: the case files have graphic photos of the soldiers' devastating injuries.
