JULY 2016
Book of the Month
Juliet Martin, I Would Wear That and Other Lies (front cover), 2015.
Having found the precision of traditional weaving impossible for me many years ago, I would buy this book for the title alone. Martin published it herself via CreateSpace (available through Amazon.com), the design firm that I have used since 2010 to produce a dozen publications. The quality of illustrations is fairly good, and the current price of $17 is reasonable enough for 116 pages of inspiration and entertainment. This author applies the Japanese philosophy of SAORI, a Zen-like immersion in the creative effort of free-style weaving, achieving a handmade look in textiles. Her subtitle for the book is “A Self-absorbed Study in Non-functional Weaving.”
http://www.julietmartin.com
Elizabeth Elliott, TriangleSex 1.0, 2012.
Quilts Derived from Computer Coding
Canadian textile artist Libs Elliott has a small but intense solo show at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum (Lincoln, Nebraska). Elliott explores the possibilities of intersections between contemporary technology and handmade craft. For her quilts in the exhibition Quilting with Code, she collaborated with technologist Joshua David, using the “Processing” programming language for her code framework. After deconstructing her composition to select fabrics for each quilt, Elliott executes each piece with exacting handwork. On view until July 17.
http://www.libselliott.com
Yoshiko Koshi, Burning Sky (detail), quilted textile. 12th Quilt Japan (National Quilt Museum).
National Quilt Museum Hosts the 12th Quilt Japan
Located in Paducah, Kentucky, the National Quilt Museum is exhibiting 32 quilts selected from more than 300 submissions by members of the Japan Handicraft Instructors’ Association residing in Japan and in countries along the Pacific Rim. Of the 12,000 members of the Association, 6000 identify as quilters, and this group organizes the world-famous Quilt Nihon Exhibition every two years. 12th Quilt Japan closes on August 9.
http://www.quiltmuseum.org
Mark Adams, Flight of Angels, woven 1962 by M. and Mme. Paul Avignon, wool and cotton tapestry. Creative Crossroads (Denver Art Museum).
Creative Crossroads: The Art of Tapestry at the Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum has a reputation as being supportive of textile art, and this exhibition of some two dozen works reflects the curatorial expertise of the department of Textile Art & Fashion, a collection boasting more than 5000 pieces. This panoply of tapestry ranges from historical European atelier-produced hangings to modern collaborations to artists who weave their own designs. The exhibition includes several sculptural works, as well as smaller tapestries on display in the Nancy Lake Benson Thread Studio. Through August 7.
http://www.denverartmuseum.org
Beaded neck ornament, South Africa, Zulu, 19th to early 20th century. Worlds on a String (Textile Museum of Canada).