r e p r i s i n g

Beyond Thread

Curated by Myra Goodall Block

Emily DuBoisKatherine Westphal
Kyoung Ae ChoMarie-Ange Guilleminot
Susan Taber AvilaLauren Levy
Linda HutchinsAkemi Nakano Cohn
Faye ZhangKaren Hampton


July 31-August 25, 2001

Braunstein/Quay Gallery
430 Clementina Street
San Francisco, CA 94103 415-278-9850

 

What propels an artist to manipulate threads, transform tiny pliable strands into a personal statement of social concern?

Fiber Art, the chosen language of the artists in this exhibition, carries with it an involved social history that allows the artist to communicate through familiar associations and materials. The viewer begins his understanding with comfortable reference points.

These ten artists use Fiber both openly and subversively to seduce and engage us, juxtaposing the sensual beauty of texture and form with layered social content. The ensuing dialogue--on issues of domesticity and environment, spirituality and isolation, language and immigration, oppression and violence--demands our total, even sensory, involvement.

The tension thus created in these visual renderings speaks of the complications/lamentations of modern society, and brings us to a space where we are forced to confront both the luxuries of such a culture and the price we pay for them.

Myra Goodall Block



Linda Hutchin's work involves the existential questioning of permanence and constraint versus spiritual freedom. What exactly is the role (roll) of bread -- religious, nourishment, cultural fairytales? Can wire restrain it? Does a plastic "caution" tape physically limit us? In her mixed-media installations, Hutchins demonstrates with humor how everyday objects (including that lamentable symbol of our violent society) are lifted into the realm of fine art. She not only challenges the boundaries which society draws for us, but also the assumptions of her own tapestry medium. Confrontational, yes, and always contrasting futility with hope.

Karen Hampton continues the stories of generations in her beautifully woven and embroidered pieces. Thread is her messenger; the struggle of African-American women is the message. Hampton's voice, full of emotion, reveals the depth of her commitment as she rips her weavings, or stitches onto family heirloom linen to assure our complete attention. In this way, she keeps history (her/story) alive and vital. (See more of her work in our Gallery archives, "Bay Area Graduate Show, MFA 2000".)

Susan Taber Avila's art "…describes a world which balances security with vulnerability. I create sculptural forms to investigate issues of containment; the inside/outside duality of the work allows me to play with the contradiction of accessible and inaccessible spaces. My work invites the viewer into the piece while at the same time, deliberately prevents (him/her) from understanding the mystery of the entire form." Here thread is structure, but the complex stitching process allows for hidden surprises. We search for what is real. (Find more of Avila's work on her Artist Page.)

Akemi Nakano Cohn struggles with two cultures as she states, "There is a tension between the Eastern values with which I was raised and Western values to which I am adjusting at present." This tension is clearly present in her complex imagery and contemporary color palates that contrast with her adherence to traditional Japanese dyeing methods, especially the Nassen paste resist techniques. Her multi-layered constructs mirror the depth of her personal experience. (See more of Cohn's work in our Gallery archives, "Interpreting Japanese Aesthetics".

Technology and tradition collide as the computer-aided loom is forced to reckon with the spirituality of Emily DuBois' ikat weavings. Finding inspiration in the rational elements of nature, in Tai Chi and meditation, she creates images of tranquility both in her textiles and her ethnographic bark-cloth work. With great skill and determination, she guides our path away from society's tumult. (Find more of DuBois' work on her Artist Page)

A lawyer a China, Faye Zhang immigrated to San Francisco where she gave birth to both baby and new career! The tremendous energy and vibrant colors of her complex pattern structures underline the calligraphic marks used to glorify the diversity of cultures and written languages. The beauty of the work honors her skill as a weaver. (See more of Zhang's work in our Gallery archives, "Bay Area Graduate Show, MFA 2000".)

Kyoung Ae Cho, a South Korean artist, brings nature's life cycle to view through her powerful organic sculptures and quilt-like assemblages. Clearly inspired by the beauty of the process itself, she decorates the surface with materials taken from nature, such as pine needles and bark. But then she reworks them to address her concern with human intervention--the natural rhythm and geometry of Mother Nature has been interrupted by human contact and the results are profound.

Marie-Ange Guilleminot's video installation, "Fold," is on continuous view in the Gallery. Filmed at the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute, and produced by The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia, this portable monument is a reminder of the Hiroshima recollection. But as students participate in the constant metamorphosis of the fabric, Sea Urchin, we are delightedly surprised: Guilleminot has communicated Fiber's seldom-realized auditory sensation!! (With Special thanks to the r e f u s a l o n Gallery)

Katherine Westphal, California's legendary Daughter, manipulates her original embroideries into delightful alter-like "Spirit Houses." Found objects from earlier travels also decorate her personalized retablos and allow her mental visitation rights. The resulting dioramas are both new age art and spiritual refuge for the child in all of us.

 


1st Installation View
THREE WAYS
THE SEVEN VIRTUES
LEAVINGS


Linda Hutchins


THREE WAYS
1999
Mixed media
5" x 14.5" x 11.5"
$600





THE SEVEN VIRTUES
2000
Mixed media,
15" x 4'x 6"
$1800





LEAVINGS
2000
Mixed media, 16 loaves
Each approx. 4.5" x 4.5" x 8.5"
$120 each


2nd Installation View
Linda Hutchins (foreground)
DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE

Karen Hampton (background)
SPIRITS CRY
FLORA'S DAUGHTERS
MI FAMILIA





Linda Hutchins
DO NOT CROSS THIS LINE
1994
Cotton, steel, wool
Installation: 2' x 18' x 2'
$6000

Karen Hampton



FLORA'S DAUGHTERS
2001
Hand stitched, natural dyes
93" x 36"
$4000




MI FAMILIA
1994
Painted warp, double weave, cotton, discharge, copy transfer
Framed: 34.5" x 35.5"
$3000



3rd Installation View
Susan Taber Avila (foreground)
SHADOW BOX
FLOWERING LOG
CRYPTIC
JUBILANCE
SAY WHAT?

Karen Hampton (background)
SPIRITS CRY
FLORA'S DAUGHTERS
MI FAMILIA


Susan Taber Avila



SHADOW BOX
2001
Thread, hand printed silk fabric, industrial felt, machine stitching
7" x 7" x 7"
$1800



FLOWERING LOG
1999
Thread, constructed by machine stitching
26" x 5" x 4"
$2200



SAY WHAT
2001
Thread, gold leaf, industrial felt, stitching
$1200



4th Installation View
Akemi Nakano Cohn
TAKING ROOT
SEEDS
ASSIMILATION


Akemi Nakano Cohn




ASSIMILATION
1995
Color rice paste resist printing on silk, interlaced & hand stitched
43" x 45"
$4400



5th Installation View
Emily DuBois
SCROLL 2
12 MOONS
AGE OF APPROACHING PIECE (Diptych)
SCROLL I
PRIMARY STRUCTURE
PLYWOOD


Emily DuBois


12 MOONS
2000
Mixed media on bark cloth
Each approx. 12 x 12 inches
$700 each; $7000




12 MOONS, Detail













12 MOONS, Detail





AGE OF APPROACHING PEACE, (DIPTYCH)
2000
Ikat dyed, jacquard woven thread
Each 36 x 15 inches
Carley Fonville & Emily Dubois
2 pieces, $10,000





AGE OF APPROACHING PEACE, (DIPTYCH)
2000
Ikat dyed, jacquard woven thread
Each 36 x 15 inches
Carley Fonville & Emily Dubois
2 pieces, $10,000



6th Installation View
Faye Zhang
WORD PATH, 2000 (Front View)
Handwoven with cotton
5 x 10 feet
NFS

Akemi Nakano Cohn
ASSIMILATION, 1995


7th Installation View
Faye Zhang
WORD PATH, 2000 (Back View)
Handwoven with cotton
5 x 10 feet
NFS

Katherine Westphal
SPIRIT HOUSES


Katherine Westphal




IN THE LAND OF BUDDHA
2000
14" x 13" x 8"
Found objects, cardboard
Photo Credit: Katherine Westphal



8th Installation View
Kyoung Ae Cho
PINE BALL II
PINE NEEDLES
INNER--SCAPE IV
INNER--SCAPE V
SCROLL II



Kyoung Ae Cho




PINE BALL II
1996
Pine needles & burn marks oon wood
3.5" x 4/5" x 4/5"
$2,700





INNER--SCAPE IV
2000
Burn marks, wood, silk organiza, thread
30" x 30"
$4,500













RAPTURE, DETAIL




SCROLL II
2000
BALSAM FIR NEEDLES, SILK ORGANIZA, THREAD WOOD
9" X 142"
$2,500


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