Arte, Mujer y Memoria: Arpilleras from Chile

Work, Justice, and Freedom

n.d., 13 ¾ x 17 ½ inches, Courtesy of Francisco Letelier and Isabel Morel Letelie

Women protest with pot lids to signify empty pots & hunger. They are the public voice that demands freedom, justice, work, and peace.

Arpillerista L.C.C. Never Forgive! Never Forget!

1980, 14 ½ x 19 inches, Courtesy of Rosalind Bresnahan

When those in power will neither acknowledge nor apologize for abuses and atrocities, victims can rightfully declare that they will neither forgive nor forget

The production of arpilleras provided a vital source of income for the arpilleristas, many of whom had been left in a state of financial insecurity due to widespread unemployment and forced disappearances of their husbands and children, who became known as desaparecidos.
These scenes served to denounce the human rights violations of the Pinochet regime. In response, the Chilean government sought to punish those who created arpilleras and those who supported the creation of arpilleras.
Allende regime's perspective: women should maintain silent and politically inactive roles as wives and mothers.
Especially affected by the implementation of neoliberal policies were women from poor and working-class households. Many of these women were left without a source of income due to widespread unemployment and political disappearances.

Arpilleras were intended to be formally simple and accessible to everyday women with no artistic training. Given the scant resources of the Vicariate of Solidarity and the individual workshop participants, arpilleras were made from the cheapest available materials. Materials used to make arpilleras included flour sacks or wheat sacks typically made of jute, flax, or hemp fibers, scraps of cloth, used thread, and discarded objects.
Most arpilleras were constructed from thick hessian canvasses, with colorful pieces of fabric stitched and embroidered together in appliqué style to form flat images of people, buildings, city streets, and landscapes.
Many also included three-dimensional elements, such as small dolls stitched atop the fabric. These dolls are meant to represent the unique qualities of the individuals they are inspired by. Arpilleristas also included more three-dimensional elements by using pieces of tin to serve as pots and pans, matchsticks and broom handles, and parts of plastic pill casings as bowls.

There are currently three different types of styles used to create an arpillera:

The Flat of Planar Method: Embroidery stitches from the surrounding area of the arpillera are used to fasten fabric materials to the surface.
The Raised or Relief Method: Dolls and objects in the arpillera are slightly lifted from the surface through embroidery stitches.
The Glue Method: Contrasting wool that has been glued is used to border the fabric materials that have been glued to the surface.

When an arpillera is finished, it is framed by a wool crocheted border and varies in size from 9" x 12" to 12" x 18" inches.