From August 29th to October 31st, I participated in a show sponsored by The Surface Design Association, (SDA). I first encountered SDA in several years ago through its magazine, Surface Design, and reconnected with them in 2014. The magazine, with its lush, highly-detailed and gorgeously presented photos of fiber in all its myriad glory, is a visual inspiration itself. The texts that accompany the images are clear and informative about contemporary and historical goings on in the universe that is textile art and artistry. Joining this organization or even just visiting its site is a great way to leave the isolation of the studio and connect with other professional artists and I urge you to check them out. Curated by Namita Gupta Wiggers, this members-only group show was titled, Materialities: Contemporary Textile Arts and was hung at The Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg TN, USA.
SDA members offered large and small textile works for exhibition in a broad range of fiber techniques: weaving, embroidery crochet, appliqué, quilting, batik and various forms of layering. These were presented in materials as diverse as porcelain and hair; wall-hung, floor-lain and various forms of installation. This international show was diverse in all ways. The quality of construction and intensity of artistic engagement can be seen in the catalog which can be ordered from SDA. $30 in USA; for international shipping contact the site at http://www.surfacedesign.org
"Materialities catalog features 91 SDA member/artists. 88 pages of images are accompanied by insightful artist statements... and 4 essays addressing context and evolution of contemporary textiles. Selected works showcase the breadth and depth of contemporary fiber arts. They successfully answer the curator's question: What do textiles/fibers & their associated processes offer artists that cannot be achieved in other media?" __ SDA
My entry was "The Impossible Dream is the Gateway to Self-love."
SDA members offered large and small textile works for exhibition in a broad range of fiber techniques: weaving, embroidery crochet, appliqué, quilting, batik and various forms of layering. These were presented in materials as diverse as porcelain and hair; wall-hung, floor-lain and various forms of installation. This international show was diverse in all ways. The quality of construction and intensity of artistic engagement can be seen in the catalog which can be ordered from SDA. $30 in USA; for international shipping contact the site at http://www.surfacedesign.org
"Materialities catalog features 91 SDA member/artists. 88 pages of images are accompanied by insightful artist statements... and 4 essays addressing context and evolution of contemporary textiles. Selected works showcase the breadth and depth of contemporary fiber arts. They successfully answer the curator's question: What do textiles/fibers & their associated processes offer artists that cannot be achieved in other media?" __ SDA
My entry was "The Impossible Dream is the Gateway to Self-love."