2 things I love: cloth & other cultures

cloth and culture now

from the project website:

Cloth & Culture NOW highlights exciting and innovative contemporary textile practice from areas where there has been a strong tradition of textile linked to specific cultural identity. The work of these contemporary practitioners reflects that cultural specificity while also responding to cross-cultural and trans-national influences. 

 

35 artists, from the 6 countries, have taken part in the project, contributing personal statements to the website about the role of textile within their lives.

A major book documenting their practice plus in depth interviews with each of the participants and essays contributed by textile experts from each of the countries is now available from the University College for the Creative Arts, and from January 29th also from the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

The exhibition Cloth & Culture NOW was shown at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, from January 29th to June 1st 2008 and attracted record-breaking audiences – 6,000 in the first 3 weeks. 

The exhibition was shown at the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester from September 17th until December 14th 2008. From January 23rd – February 19th 2009 The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in London exhibited the Lithuanian work from Cloth & Culture Now.

Something that I enjoyed about this project was simply the exposure to artists from places I know little about: Lithuania, Estonia...sure, I'm generally familiar with Japanese and Scandinavian textile artists, but Latvia?  All I really know about it is about the impact of Art Nouveau.

There's some amazing weaving in this project - work that is so inspiring; I can't begin to imagine creating such gorgeous textiles.  I hope y'all enjoy!

Threadcrumbs

Last year, while doing a little research, I came across this blog: threadcrumbs

It's a digital library of textiles; fragments and pieces collected by Jude Hill. 

Contextual information about the piece is included, and it's lovely to go through and see all of the pieces the author has collected. 

I hope you find a little inspiration on this hot summer day.  See you all on the 10th!

Fundraiser Prep (part 2): JULY 10 at 10AM

Come one, come all - bring dyeables/printables, and let's get ready to make the fiber club some money! Past, present, future fiberistas (and fiberistos) welcome. Come late, come early, come whenever...just come.

Thanks to the outstanding work of Kristin, Whitney, Brooke, Ann, Lynde, Adia, Rachel, (Kelsey in absentia providing scarves and Ts) and Elise, we have 35 tshirts and a ton of scarves dyed and ready for printing.

(

top: Elisia, Kristin, and Whitney, and the dyebaths.  
bottom: Lynde, Adia, Elisia, and Rachel prepping tshirts and scarves for dyeing.


We have yet to do the tote bags, and there are more scarves and tshirts, so it's vital to get snapping on the 10th.

R

Rachel and some tshirts.  Don't worry - they're not finished yet...we're not going to the Rainbow Gathering!


 

Here's the plan:

• Bring screens if you have images ready to print, pigment if you have any (we have some), blocks or resist methods you'd like to use, maybe your sewing machine if you feel like doing a little machine embroidery, and anything else you feel like doing to embellish and finish the work.

Email fanclubofasu@gmail.com for questions, more specific information, casual conversation, or photographic documentation.

Hope to see you there!!

Saturday Saturday!

Fiber folks,

This weekend is it! 

Saturday the 19th at 10am we will meet in the Art Warehouse (room 114, as always) for our first annual fundraiser prep day. 

For those of you who may have missed the last meeting of the semester, it was decided that we would hold a fundraiser in the early fall on campus in order to raise money for visiting artists, workshops, shows and other events. 

FAN is providing the dyes, as well as some silk scarves and cotton tote bags, but we need you to bring plain white t-shirts (any kind you like; these will do, or thrift 'em and get some fabulous vintage t's to re-purpose) to sell!  If you bring 3 or more, feel free to make one for yourself to take home and model as a representative of FAN.  If you have screens you want to print with, feel free to bring them, too.

Other dye-able and print-able objects you're willing to donate to the cause are welcome, as well. :)  Our sale will be held over by the MU early in the fall semester.



In other news:

• start thinking about demo days during the year - what skills would you like to learn?  At our first meeting of the fall semester, we'll be setting the schedule for the year as to what we're covering and when.  Other thoughts: photography days, scheduled group critique days, group trips to events/exhibits.
  
• interested in natural dyes?  Navajo weaver DY Begay is planning on coming in late October (if possible!) and being the first-ever FAN visiting artist to give a lecture to the group!  She's an expert on natural dyes made from all sorts of organic material, so she'll be able to answer any and all questions you might have.

There's more, but it's only June, so they'll have to wait.  Hope to see many of you at the Warehouse on Saturday - if you can't make it, but would like to donate dyeables, please email me anytime this week.

Until next time - happy stitching!