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August 21, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

Woven Stories

The collection of fabrics so far for Woven Stories.

 

Australian textile artist Angela McIntosh is now based in Canada, and like many artists she wasn’t able to access her studio during the lock down. Wanting to do something positive during the pandemic she developed a collective project called Woven Stories. “In essence I am asking people to reconnect with memories that are held within the comfort of cloth and then I am bringing together and celebrating these memories and connections with other contributors,” she explains. 

To take part you need to submit a photo and short narrative of why the fabric is important to you. To date the project comprises of a wide range of fabrics from all over the world including a wedding dress, an Afghan thrown and a vintage quilt. Once the digital project has closed, Angela will transform the images into a physical artwork, with the aim of exhibiting the digital contributions in tandem with the physical translation. The website will remain as a record and repository for people to visit. To find out more, or to read the fascinating memories behind the fabrics that are already included visit https://angela-mcintosh.ca/works/woven-stories

 

 

 

August 14, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

An interview with Surface Design Association

 

    

 

Above: Surface Design Association logo and SDA member Holly Wong, Bia II, 2020

 

Being a Textile / Fiber Artist isn’t always easy. You often have to battle the misconception that Textile Art isn’t Fine Art, and especially after Covid there aren’t always a huge amount of spaces to exhibit. That is why I’m always keen to feature organisations that help textile artists. One particular organisation I discovered is the SDA or the Surface Design Association. Although it is based in the United States it is open to all textile artists and I recently interviewed the Executive Director, Karena Bennet to find out more. 

 

What is the SDA?

SDA is an international organisation founded in 1977 to promote textile art through publications, exhibitions, workshops, and conferences. The SDA community is truly expansive. We have thousands of members from 40 countries around the world. Our goal is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, opportunities for learning and collaboration, and to encourage critical dialogue. At the heart of SDA is our quarterly publication, Surface Design Journal, which is international in scope and brings an array of concepts, processes, and materials to readers.

 

What are the advantages for textile / fiber artists that join? 

Membership includes a range of benefits and we’re always finding new ways to strengthen these offerings. We work really hard to support our members by: 

  • Providing opportunities for learning and meaningful collaboration
  • Mentoring emerging and established artists
  • Informing members about the latest developments in the field of fiber arts
  • Recognising the accomplishments of members
  • Encouraging critical dialogue about fiber art
  • Inspiring new directions in fiber and textiles
  • Raising the visibility of fibers and textile media in the contemporary art world.

 

Do you cover all genres of fiber / textile art? 

Yes! SDA’s goal is to showcases the breadth and depth of contemporary artists and designers working with or inspired by fiber art and/or textile-based materials, methods, and techniques. Many of our members and contributors work in 2D and 3D, but we’re also interested in time-based media, performance, or conceptual work. 

 

Who can apply? Do they have to live in North America?

We welcome members from all over the world. Currently, we have members in 40 countries. All of our member benefits are open to international members including grants and awards. We’ve also designed certain opportunities to eliminate barriers to participation for members outside of the U.S. For example, our International Exhibition in Print is the focus of one Journal each year. It’s a wonderful opportunity for artists to showcase their work without incurring massive shipping expenses or limiting who can see it. The Journal almost always has some international articles. In December, with the support of Creative New Zealand, we’ll be publishing a Journal that is fully focused on New Zealand and will highlight SDA members there as well as other exciting artists, scholars and organisations working in fiber. 

 

What is a premium member? 

Our Premium Membership is designed to give artists opportunities for more exposure. At the premium level, folks are able to upload 10 images to our Member Directory (as opposed to 3 for other member levels). All premium member work also appears in our Premium Gallery, which is a fun way to explore the work SDA artists. We draw from our premium membership for our Online Exhibitions and Member Spotlights that appear on our blog and social media. 

 

Is there anything you would like to add?

While we are a membership-based organisation, we think the wider SDA community in much broader terms. There are great opportunities and a lot to explore for non-members as well. We’re always looking for opportunities for partnerships, collaboration, and to connect with new artists. We are really a community that embraces a diversity of ideas, techniques and media!

 

www.surfacedesign.org  

July 26, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

What is yarn bombing?

Lace Covered Kangaroos by Annette Fitton at the Trivento International Yarn Bombing Event 2019

 

We’ve all heard of Yarn Bombing but I was curious about what exactly it is and how you go about it. Australian artist Annette Fitton has taken part in Yarn Bombing events all over the world and kindly answered my questions. 

 

1. What exactly is yarn bombing?

 Yarn bombing is a street art, a form of graffiti using textiles instead of paint. Yarn bombers might add tags, put up murals, leave messages or cover parts of or whole inanimate objects. It has other names too, Guerilla Knitting and Yarn Storming for example. Any technique using yarn to add colour and life to an object is recognised as yarn bombing.

 

2. Some of your events seem organised, do you ever do random yarn bombing?
Lately all the projects I have been involved with have taken months to produce and assemble, an international event, some commissions and an art trail. The last yarn bombing project I knitted independently took quite a lot of time and organising too. I sought permission from the owner of the land where the trees I planned to cover grew. I wanted to be sure the land owner knew I would remove the knitting after a month. I haven’t done any totally random yarn bombing.

 

3. If it’s not organised is it seen as wool graffiti and can you get into trouble? 
As far as I have seen, Melbourne is very accommodating when it comes to accepting wool graffiti however it is considered polite to ask for permission before graffiti is put on private property and to remove it in good time.

 

4. Yarn bombing a tree looks complicated. How do you go about that? 
A detailed list of measurements needs to be made before yarn bombing a particular tree. If the tree cosy fits well with stripes or patterns lining up and all joints between branches and main trunk covered it will look its best. If you have a strip you would like to put on a tree and you find a branch or stem the same size or smaller then your strip that would work too.

 

5. How long does it stay up for?
Six weeks is probably the optimal length of time a yarn bombing can be left in place. Depending on the location, time of the year and exposure to the elements yarn bombing can stay up, relatively clean and neat looking, for as many as two or three months. For the sake of their health yarn bombed trees should be uncovered after six to eight weeks at the most.

 

6. Do people have yarn bombing clubs? If so how would you recommend you start one?

Search social media and you will find yarn bombing groups, large and small, public and private. If you would like to start one of your own you could ask your knit and crochet loving friends to join you, put together a group on Facebook or meet up. Find a spot in your area that could do with some colourful decoration. Think up and plan the size and time frame of your project, what you will cover, how much of it, the colours and patterns you will use and when and how you will install it. Start small, document your progress and share your results if you like. #yarnbombing

 

July 25 2020

 

June 18, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

Art textiles by Helene Barrier at Iconoklastes

 

       

 

French textile artists Helene Barrier also known as Ikonoclastes has worked in various studios and art residences around the world but is now based in Paris. Her work often includes upcycling and I caught up with her to ask her about this beautiful piece she created called Mitch. 

 

What is your background in textiles?

Most of my craft comes from experimenting with various materials in a sort of instinctive way. I would eventually learn specific technics (like serigraphy or ceramic) with other artists, sharing trades and building friendships around the world.

 

Tell me more about Mitch

It all started with Charles Laughton’s ‘The night of the Hunter‘. In the movie the main character is played by Robert Mitchum, which inspired the name ‘Mitch‘. ‘Love,’ and ‘Hate,’ were the first two words I embroidered on the armchair, matching Mitchum’s on screen tattoos, and breathing a new life into the old piece of furniture. I then imagined what other types of tattoos could be hidden under the fake preacher’s dark clothes, and the armchair became a mirror image of the character’s body, a heavy  shape filled with mystery and a sombre duality.

Dark blue lines of thread spread like muscle fibers in all directions, in either tension or looseness, drawing flora and fauna and animal shapes reminiscent of the nocturnal environment of the movie. The Love side of the armchair displays a safe and welcoming scenery of houses, while the Hate side bears the threat of a large spiderweb ready to ensnare the two children in the story. On the back, right above a wide open eye, one can read ‘Does he ever sleep?’, an ominous reference to the relentless hunter.

Loose threads on the top of the seat are a reminder of the river and its vegetation.

I always grounded my work in a spirit of upcycling, giving a new life to discarded objects of everyday’s life, and Mitch turned out to become, through more than 400 hours of work, one of my favourite pieces.

 

Find out more about Helene Barrier at www.iconoklastes.com  and her blog http://iconoklastes.blogspot.fr

iconoclastes

iconoclastes

 

 

 

 

 

June 11, 2020 In Art, Photography

Tips to photograph textile art

     

 

Presenting your textile art is more important than ever before. Entire careers can be made from your online presence but for many artists

showing the detail and real colours of their work can be a challenge.

I caught up with photographer and web designer Katie Vandyck for some tips on how to get the best from your artwork. Here is a brief summary

of her very helpful blog post (see below for the link). Feel free to download the image above as a checklist.

 

1. USE A TRIPOD – Lighting is key to making your art look amazing a tripod is essential for holding your camera steady while the camera deals with the shutter speed. They don’t have to be brand new. If you look on second hand sites you can usually pick them up for a reasonable amount. 

2. DIRECTION OF LIGHTING – When using daylight position your textiles opposite a window in a white room if possible as it gives no colour cast to your image. 

3. AVOID USING A WIDE ANGLED LENS – This causes distortion. 

4. POSTIONING YOUR TRIPOD – Place your tripod far enough back to take in the whole image and ensure your camera is level with the middle of the image. 

 

Katie explains this perfectly and in more detail (including lighting) on the blog on her website at https://katievandyckwebsites.co.uk

 

 

 

 

May 4, 2020 In Textile Art

Interview with S.E.W

 

[Centre image: From left: Art by Cat Frampton, Emily Tull, Elizabeth Griffiths, Frances Palgrave, Sarah Gwyer, Kate Tume, Dr Jessica Grimm, Rowena Liley. Sculpture in foreground by Lou Baker. Dolly by Annie Taylor]

 

Cat Frampton and Emily Tull started S.E.W in 2018 to help promote and support artists who use stitch and show the art world that stitching is art. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I interviewed them to find out more.

 

What exactly is S.E.W? 

S.E.W stands for Society For Embroidered Work, a society for artists who have a stitched element in their work. We were unaware of a Society for artists who stitched, there are for painters, graphic art…and also Guilds and various groups for textile artists but nothing for those who fall in-between the gaps, or don’t necessarily sit neatly in the description. Unfortunately still in these times it can be frowned upon if an artist has stitch in their work, and many artists can feel that they don’t fit into a category. Our member’s artwork cover a broad spectrum from traditional textiles to art in which concrete, bark, paint or household items are stitched into. The aim of S.E.W is to promote and support artists who have an element of stitching in their artworks, hand or machine and traditional or contemporary forms of embroidery but also to host exhibitions to show the art world that stitched art is art!

 

When and why did you start it?

S.E.W was started after we (Cat Frampton and Emily Tull) got chatting on Instagram, in 2018. We didn’t know each other well and had in fact never met, only connecting over a shared anger at being rejected from a couple of exhibitions, rejections that felt as if they were based in a misapprehension about embroidery. We both understood that rejection is a normal part of being an artist, but when no embroidery is selected for an ‘open’ exhibition, or there is not even a tick box on the exhibition submission form for your medium, it becomes frustratingly obvious that you are not working in a level playing field. 

Stitched art is art, but being an artists who uses a needle in their work, you are constantly having to fight against the idea that it’s a lesser art form than, say, painting or sculpture. People have a weird perception of embroidery and the Society for Embroidered Work was born out of wanting to change that. 

 

How many members do you currently have?

We currently stand at just over 460 members worldwide.

 

What are you looking for in members?

We are looking for members who take their work seriously. We don’t care about what stitches people use, what they stitch into, if the work is wholly stitched or only has a small stitched element, we don’t care if the artists is stitching into fabric or embedding embroidery into concrete. 

What we are looking for is artists who have a clear vision and strong individual style. From established artists to beginners showing strong promise, we are  looking for those that are making art using stitches. 


If people are interested in applying to join how does it work?

We hold  membership open calls. The submission required consists of good quality clear photographs – we want to see the art not the reflection in the glass of a frame. An artist’s statement, we want to learn what motivates and inspires you work, we are not concerned with grammar or spelling or pretentious waffle just that you see yourself as an artist making art. We also ask for social media and website links just in case we need to see more work.

Is someone is interested in applying to our next call out we just ask for them to really consider what images they put forward – do they really sum up your practice? Although we ask for web links we don’t look at everyone’s as there is a large number to go through and so first impressions really do count.

 

When is your next exhibition?

Our current exhibition plans have been shelved for the next few months. We did have a few things planned, but obviously, right now, exhibition planning is up in the air. We hope to have another excellent exhibition as soon as we possibly can. 

 

To find out more visit www.societyforembroideredwork.com