About the piece: "Season’s Shadows: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall came out of a series of explorations that were inspired by the natural prints of leaves that appear on sidewalks every year. As I walk, I appreciate the subtle changes of season, taking in details around me. Each autumn, I notice these leaf prints begin to emerge around me and marvel at their simple beauty captured in the natural environment, seemingly unnoticed by others. My mind is curious to the perfect combination of conditions - water, leaf, acidity, time, surface - that allow these prints into being, capturing the individual leaf images as the tannins press and seep into the concrete.
This curiosity was the springboard for a succession of experiments in my studio, seeing if I could capture leaf prints onto other surfaces – various kinds of silk and paper – and exploring a variety of leaves. There were many variables and I wanted to understand the impact they had on the final image. As I was able to create rich fields of pattern, I began to layer over them with techniques of both soy and traditional wax resist with acid dyes. I observed how subtleties in density and texture as well as color profoundly changed my perception and emotion of season related to the leaf images. Based on that sense of transformation, this quadtych is a representation of the constant changing of seasons – a mere moment, a feeling, a memory, as the passage is far too illusory to capture."
Season's Shadows, details
Artist Statement/Bio: Although I've worked in many forms of media, I've been drawn to fiber in recent years because it engages more of the senses. It is not only visual, but tactile. Fiber utilizes the same principles of design as other mediums, but the results are manifested through a process that is both planned and organic, and the aspect of texture takes on a much larger role. My goal with any fiber piece is that it should be so compelling that the viewer not only looks at it, but has an insatiable need to touch and feel it.
My work in silk, exploring Rozome and natural leaf dying, has led me to create wearables for the first time. I've found this compelling because it allows one to be physically wrapped in art, rather than viewing art as something separate from self- something that hangs on a wall. Most of my imagery, if specific, is inspired by nature. I can hardly walk down the street without becoming engrossed by the patterns of leaves on the sidewalk, the intricacies of lichen on a fallen tree trunk, or the play of shadows as light filters through the branches of a tree onto the lawn. My mind is constantly caught up in the subtlety of pattern and form, even in seemingly mundane environments.
In the past year, I've begun integrating felting into the silk, which has added a much more dimensional quality. I've become fascinated by the possibilities of Nuno felting because it allows disparate materials to be fused together seamlessly. I most often use protein fibers - silk and wool - bust sometimes integrate rayon, polyester, linen or cotton when a "found" piece of cloth captures my interest. I enjoy cutting scraps from old clothing, re-purposing things that have been tossed aside - making unlikely matches and marveling at the results. Recycled cloth provides a broad palette of textures, patterns, colors, and weights, and because it comes with a history of its own, I find it more intriguing and thought-provoking than fabric taken off the shelf.
I like combining these diverse sources of fiber, as well as a variety of processes with dye and resist to constantly test the boundaries -how something can be made exquisitely sheer, or startling dense and lush. Defining the conditions, directing the pieces, and then allowing magic to happen as fibers, dye or other materials meld together and create something wholly new is a process that drives me to continue generating new work.
just saw Tanya's work at Sharon art center. I love the delicate nature of the natural dyed or eco-clothing.
ReplyDeletehope she has a etsy site someday and, well, larger clothing.