Escaping the Limits of Functionality

Last weekend I went to the opening of the World of Threads Exhibitions. I picked up Louise Lemieux Berube at the train station in Toronto and off we drove to Oakville. Shortly after we arrived we bumped into Pat Burns Wendland on the left, shown above with Louise Lemieux Berube from the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, herself an internationally known jacquard weaver. Pat's beautiful hand dyed, painted and woven Japanese style kimono hangs on the wall behind her. 

 Multi panel jacquard weaving by Louise Lemieux Berube

There were lots of fibre art works that were woven and on my blog I mainly feature those works of art. Many others  very worthy and spectacular works and equally worthy of mention but I limited myself to what was woven. 

Cathryn Amadei, USA

I'm glad I went to the opening because I met many of the fibre artists who came from all over the world. It was nice to connect their spirit to their work, as well as their faces. Since most of us work disconnected from other weavers in our artistic weaving practice, it was invigorating to spend time and talk to other fibre artists. To have this creative energy converging in one place was extraordinary. 

Double woven hand dyed wall hanging by Sarah Nording, Indian USA

Many of the works intrigued me as I pondered technically how they were done. Sarah Nording's work definitely captured my curiosity. 

Double woven hand dyed wall hanging by Sarah Nording, Indian USA

For years I wove and sold practical things  while simultaneously maintaining my own fibre art practice. Often the practical money making side overtook my creative time in the studio. These days there is much less focus on weaving the practical in my practice  but by helping my students I keep practiced at it, and I love it regardless. Weaving functional items has taught me so much about weaving technically, and as I help my students progress in their own technical forays, it helps to expand my own capacities, which in the end benefit and inform my creative endeavours. 

Double woven hand dyed wall hanging by Sarah Nording, Indian USA

The practical and functional weaving is focused on definite pre-established outcomes. Art weaving is more about wondering, wandering and taking the weaving to a place one hadn't thought of before. There is the element of  magical delight, and surprise. Although progress has been made in taking fibre art more seriously, there is still a long way to go before the art investing/buying public considers it as real art. It's true that the bulk of fibre artists are predominantly female and perhaps that has something to do with the state of affairs. To gain that respect as fibre artists is something we still have to crusade for. I encourage everyone to be more supportive of fibre art by purchasing it and supporting its practitioners. It will in the end, be a good investment, as  little by little , fibre pieces are acquired by museums. Buy  while the prices are still comparatively low. 

Double woven hand dyed wall hanging by Sarah Nording, Indian USA

After seeing this exhibit and the art weaving, it infused my own art weaving practice with energy and once again, I was eager to get back to the studio to explore my ideas and continue working on them. Weaving (artfully) will be my companion until the end of my days. There is no need to retire here until I expire! 

Unidentified artist

Donna Kim took basket weaving in Southern France this past summer. She sent me a link to the person who taught her,   Eva Seidenfaden teaching http://www.vissinggaard.dk/Courses.aspx.

More work from the World of Threads Exhibit is featured in the Tapestry/Exhibitions blog. The exhibit will continue until November 30 2014.

Overshot patterned scarf by Helen Skelton

Helen Skelton has commenced moving forward on creating her colour sampler. Together we figured out how to measure the quantities for weft colours using a special counter that speeds up the process dramatically!