My Where Do We Go From Here? series explores way-finding in a chaotic world. I take Japanese shibori hand-dying techniques and reinterpret an old art form for contemporary times. See this work while it is on tour at the Art Cloth Network travelling exhibition, ReVision. It is layered hand-dyed silk fabrics with hand-stitching.
In the Where Do We Go From Here? series, I explore way-finding in a complex and chaotic world. This piece was inspired by the ancient Peruvian Wari textile below, and the American quilt block called ‘flying geese.’ I love to combine elements of old and new to create a new ‘species’ of textile art.
A ‘deconstructed American flag,’ this work’s title references Yeats’ poem, The Second Coming. It is layered hand-dyed silks, fused and hand-stitched. The Where Do We Go From Here? series explores way-finding in a chaotic world.
Haiku III
The silk remembers
The loom, the folds, the needle,
The thread, and the flame.
Shibori is a Japanese word for creating pattern on fabric. In the shibori process, many items can be used–folds, clamps, string, needle and thread. Haiku III is a visual interpretation of the poetic literary art form. Translucent silk fabrics were dyed using the itajime and machine-stitched Katano shibori. They were layered and machine stitched with burned raw edges. While the four complexly dyed fabrics relate to one another, each is beautiful in its own right. Photo by Jack Kulawik.
Haiku I became a study of sorts for a larger work (Haiku II) and launches a new series. Both feature hand-dyed sheer silk fabrics over-layed with synthetic sheers, and machine stitched. This allows for a fascinating interplay between colors, values, and repeating shapes. Haiku I is more intense, and reminds me of a Rorschach test, if you had double vision. The namesake poetry, and the dyeing technique, shibori, are both Japanese.
Of course, I had to write a haiku to celebrate this new series.
Haiku I
Two colors: red, black
Layered to affect the mood–
Simple yet complex.
So I have been in the dye studio for a few days and have some pieces to share. These are all various forms of shibori, the Japanese word for putting pattern on fabric by applying pressure with dye. Most of these are silk fabrics, procion dyes are used on each.
Admittedly, this chevron piece is kinda ugly. But I have learned that this is merely an opportunity to throw it into another dye bath or discharge it to get something spectacular. Stay tuned.
Now comes one of my favorite parts of the art-making process: auditioning fabrics to put them all together….