Surface Design Journal - Winter 2015/2016 by Surface Design Association

Museum Rijswijk Conservator and Curator Anne Kloosterboer with Marci at the Rijswijk Textile Biennial 2015 exhibition, on display during the 17th European Textile Network (ETN) Conference, May 2015, Rijswijk, Netherlands. Photo: Monika Auch.

Hybrid forms of fiber art are among my favorites in the contemporary art world. This issue focuses on the enticing tactile intersections of wax and fiber, from wall works and batik textile design to installation art and sculpture. To warm up my editorial research, I attended the 8th International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in June of 2014. This annual gathering of artists working with wax-based materials and techniques introduced me to an impressive group of artists, curators, educators, and writers. Conference founder, artist, and critic Joanne Mattera shares the work of several encaustic practitioners who challenge preconceived notions of gender and spirituality. Gallery owner, artist, and curator Miles Conrad introduces others who create trancendant sculptural pieces. Artist and author Nancy Natale waxes philosphical about the visceral nature of Susan Lasch Krevitt’s artistic practice. Cover artist and educator Susan Stover enlightens us with beautiful imagery and insights on how traveling to Indonesia to learn batik traditions has expanded her creative horizons. This issue also introduces new department articles, including: On Display for previews of fiberart shows to see this winter; In the Studio with encaustic artist Lorraine Glessner; and Restoration, celebrating the rescue of a treasured Lenore Tawney public art installation. For a glimpse of textile art from the next generation, meet the winners of our 2015 SDA Creative Promise Awards for Student Excellence. Emerging Voices features Student SDA member Joy Dilworth.

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SDA underwent a successful year of energizing transformation in 2015. Among the many accomplishments was the gorgeous exhibition Materialities: Contemporary Textile Arts (review on p. 66). The accompanying print and digital catalog features works by 91 international SDA members. Materialities was a highlight of the awe-inspiring Craft + Concept Intensive 2015, Made/Aware: Socially Engaged Practices at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (October 8– 11, 2015). In May, I had the honor of representing SDA at the 17th European Textile Network (ETN) Conference in the Netherlands, where I met an incredible roster of artists, designers, historians, curators, writers, and material science researchers. A highlight of that action-packed adventure was the Rijswijk Textile Biennial 2015 exhibition (review on p. 72) at Museum Rijswijk. Our quarterly publishing schedule resumes this year, coinciding with the arrival of our new Executive Director Danielle Kelly, new SDA President Astrid Bennett, new Ad Manager Trevi Fountain, and new members of the SDA Board. With this exceptional crew of talented team members and your unwavering member support, the future is bright for SDA and the Journal!

Marci Rae McDade journaleditor@surfacedesign.org

Marci being officially inducted into the Sewing Rebellion by Frau Fiber (aka Carole Frances Lung) during the SDA Craft + Concept Intensive 2015, Made/Aware: Socially Engaged Practices (October 8–11, 2015) at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Photo: LM Wood.

COVER CREDIT: SUSAN STOVER Where is My Allegiance? Detail, indigo-dyed silk, encaustic, mixed media on panel, 47" x 54" x 3", 2015. Photo by the artist. ©2015 ©2015 Surface Design Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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features 06

Travel, Textiles, and Tradition by Susan Stover

The Tactile World by Miles Conrad

Sharing Creative Process: Brahma Tirta Sariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Batik Mentorship by Sonja Dahl

Susan Lasch Krevitt: The Rhythm of the Hand by Nancy Natale

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Dialogue of the Unsent by Deborah Kapoor

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Memory, Spirit, and Gender: Existential Themes in Fiber and Wax by Joanne Mattera

Crafting Creativity by Susan Moss

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Winter 2015/2016 Volume 39 Number 4

departments 48

Restoration New! Lenore Tawneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cloud Series VI

In the Studio New! Lorraine Glessner

First Person Paula Roland

Exposure A gallery of recent work by SDA Members

Emerging Voices Joy Dilworth

On Display New! Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion Beyond the Surface Fires of Change Tibor Reich Retrospective Native Fashion Now

In Review Materialities: Contemporary Textile Arts Counter-Couture: Fashioning Identity in the American Counterculture Susan Taber Avila: Matters of Dis-Ease Rijswijk Textile Biennial 2015 Contemporary International Tapestry

Spotlight on Education Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL

SDA Creative Promise Awards for Student Excellence Molly Koehn, MFA Lauren Mleczko, BFA

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Kathryn Shinko, Honorable Mention

Travel, Textiles, & Tradition b y

S u s a n

S t o v e r

TOP: Row of canting tools in Java, 2015. BOTTOM: Fabric at a textile market in Bali, 2015. RIGHT: SUSAN STOVER Where is My Allegiance? Indigo-dyed silk, encaustic, mixed media on panel, 47" x 54" x 3", 2015. All photos by Susan Stover, ©2015. 6

Surface Design Journal

Travel can greatly impact an artist’s work. It can influence, be a catalyst for change, or further catapult the journey already started. In the absence of familiar surroundings, it can magnify what captures the eye and the emotions. All is new, exciting, and exhilarating. Both making art and traveling have opened up new experiences and challenged me in unique ways. There is so much to be inspired by—the atmosphere in the landscape, hues and textures of a traditional market, shrines and temples, and environments of living and creating. I recently returned from my second trip to Indonesia in the last 15 months. As the experiences and inspirations linger in my subconscious, they continue to influence my artwork. My love of textiles was rekindled as a result of these travels. Fabrics abundantly adorn shrines and temples, are used as offerings, typify ceremonial dress, and are displayed as consumer goods. I am inspired not only by the beauty of the fabrics, but also how they function in a society where art, life, and spirituality are all connected. Nowhere is this more evident than in Bali. Concepts of duality, animism, and the desire for harmony between the natural and supernatural worlds are the foundation of Balinese beliefs. My fascination with

Winter2015/2016

There is an inherent beauty to the handmade, purposed item that looks old and worn.

SUSAN STOVER Artesian Wall Indigo-dyed silk, encaustic, horsehair, wood, mixed media on panel, 36" x 36" x 3", 2015.

the connection of art and spirit lies in the mystery, the unanswered questions, the quest for balance and purpose, the desire for connectedness with others and with the sacred, however they choose to define it. Textiles embody these concerns, which are more evident in cultures other than my own. When traveling, I am conscious of how closely tradition and technology are related. Weaving and dyeing cloth are technologies that have existed for millennia. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the western world is more removed from these technologies, as most cloth is made in factories. Our direct relationship to the production of fabric and items for survival does 8

not exist. In countries like Indonesia, these traditions are part of cultural identity and there is a sense of pride in the hand making of them. Some of the places in Java and Bali that I visited still produce cloth exactly as it has been done for hundreds of years. The tools and settings of these shops look like they have not changed over the ages, and it was like stepping back in time. It was always surprising to see cell phones in these environmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the juxtaposition of ancient and modern. This is what I am after in my own workâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; taking something from one arena, bridging the gaps of time and place, and situating it in a new venue. There is an inherent beauty to the hand-

Surface Design Journal

made, purposed item that looks old and worn. Often I think of history, what or who came before me, what was left behind, and how we are joined to others by the same activities that keep our hands busy. The rhythmic beating of a loom and the repetitive movements of stitching and stamping can be meditative and calming. There is a satisfaction to this type of labor. Textiles imply an association with human touch and human interaction and I am curious how the maker’s role functions individually and collectively in a community. What interests me is the information that textiles contain, as patterns and techniques encode knowledge from ancestors and tell us much about a culture’s cosmology and development. Perhaps it is my own desire for connection to the larger world that drives me to seek out authentic artisans working in methods that have been handed down from one generation to another. Throughout the years, my work has incorporated the combination of textiles and painting. I have worked in many ways using dye, paint, thread, fabric, and fiber. Prior to traveling to Indonesia, I had been using surface design techniques on silk and embedding them into encaustic to develop my own visual language of unique mark-making and patterning. A shift happened in the work as a result of traveling—the fabric itself became the subject matter and a springboard ABOVE: Woman using batik canting tools to design on fabric in Java, 2015. for new content. I wanted to make work that BELOW: Man stamping wax onto fabric in Java, 2015. looked like old cloths that were worn in a way that would suggest some sort of use or purpose. They could be fragments or relics and could incorporate techniques typically found in ritual textiles and costumes. Recently, I have been combining surface design techniques (such as discharge, silk painting, and indigo dyeing) on silk with encaustic on panel. There is marvelous allure of adding color to cloth and a magical alchemy of dyeing with indigo. When layering the silk into encaustic, the wax is beautifully absorbed by the silk. The silk then becomes semi-transparent, revealing rich subtleties of colored wax underneath. Murky layers of wax on top of the silk can add depth, mystery, and freeze the fabric in the moment. Working with encaustic in many ways is like working with fiber. There is a tactile quality to the wax that makes one want to touch it. The translucent layers of wax are similar to working with layers of dye. Wax can reflect and absorb light like various fibers. There are the textural and sculptural capabilities of wax as there are with fibers. When I started thinking of my “paintings” as “objects,” it stimulated ideas of working Winter2015/2016

â&#x20AC;Śmy intention is to create artwork that evokes a sense of transcendent mystery and purpose.

SUSAN STOVER Portal Indigo-dyed silk, indigo, encaustic, metal, tar, mixed media on panel, 16" x 8" x 1.5", 2015. 10

Surface Design Journal

ABOVE: Bound fabric dyed in indigo in SUSAN STOVER’S Graton, CA, studio. RIGHT: Piece in progress in SUSAN STOVER’S studio. BELOW: Young man dyeing batik fabric in indigo in Java, 2015.

sculpturally and freed me from thinking within the confines of the panel. It opened up the possibilities of working with other fibers, materials, and techniques. Incorporating these materials and working in this way, my intention is to create artwork that evokes a sense of transcendent mystery and purpose. The goal is to imbue the work with a vulnerability and vitality that reflects the presence of the maker. Each piece is a personal meditation on what connects the past and present, the beauty of imperfection and age. The challenge is how to make the things that inspire me and at the same time place them in a contemporary context. How do I celebrate these inspirations, use these traditions, and express it in a way that is relative to my own culture? As I travel and seek inspiration, I am aware of how tourism and commercialism affect these places. Traditional weaving patterns can be found printed cheaply on cotton fabric. ”Fake” batiks are abundant. Natural dyes and materials are often replaced by cheaper synthetic ones. Symbolic meanings are in danger of being lost as techniques and knowledge may not be handed down to future generations. I believe that it is important to recognize the value and conservation of traditions and cultures with awareness and mindfulness of our impact on them. Threads of Winter2015/2016

Life and the Bebali Foundation in Ubud, Bali, seek to preserve and restore indigenous textile cultures in Indonesia. They work with women’s weaving cooperatives to help manage their resources sustainably and relieve poverty in remote areas. The Bebali Foundation does botanical research of natural dyes and mordants. I spent a wonderful afternoon in the Bebali Natural Dye Garden dyeing with the indigo that is grown there. The garden beds are filled with different varieties of indigo and plants for other colors and mordants. My consciousness and respect has grown for the beauty existing in other parts of the world as a result of my travels. I am grateful for the rich heritages that endure and am optimistic of how they might evolve. I am looking forward to future art inspiring journeys in Italy, India and a return to Java with others who share a similar interest in appreciating the artistry of cultural traditions. For more information on Threads of Life and the Bebali Foundation, visit: www.threadsoflife.com

—Susan Stover is an artist and educator. She teaches and shows her work nationally and internationally and maintains a full time studio practice in Graton, CA. www.susanstover.com.

E POSURE LESLIE GIULIANI Weston, Connecticut, US Embrace Thread, wool, encaustic (wax), linen, digital machine embroidery, rug hooking, encaustic on linen, 20" x 20", 2014. www.lesliegiuliani.com

CATHERINE KLEEMAN Ruxton, Maryland, US Down the Rabbit Hole Artist-dyed and painted cotton fabrics, soy wax batik, screen printing, monoprinting, overpainting, raw edge fabric collage, machine stitching and quilting, 35" x 45.5", 2014. www.cathyquilts.com

MUFFY CLARK GILL Naples, Florida, US In Plane View 2 Rozome on silk, 26" x 64.5", 2013. Photo by the artist. www.muffyclarkgill.com

Surface Design Journal

DEBORAH KRUGER Chapala, Mexico Raptor Fiber, encaustic, oil stick, paint, mixed media, 42" x 96", 2015. Photo: Pivot Media. www.deborahkruger.com

SUSAN PURNEY MARK Victoria, British Columbia, Canada A Bridge Between Equals Cotton, linen and silk/cotton blend fabrics, soy wax resist, dye painting, screen printing, 35" x 34", 2014. www.susanpm.com

RITA TREFOIS Ghent, Belgium Amdo(Tryptich) Wax, cotton, wood, batik wax resist on cotton, application on wood with resin, 23.6" x 45.3" x 1.2", 2013. Photo by the artist. www.ritatrefois.be

Artists represented on the “Exposure” pages are members of the Surface Design Association (SDA). This issue features the work of members who have populated their SDA profile pages with images and information about themselves and their work. This free and easy online membership benefit adds to the SDA Image Library and Member Directory; both are valuable research tools for curators, writers, collectors, and artists from all over the world. To learn more, log into your member account and follow the prompts, or visit the Gallery link at: www.surfacedesign.org Winter2015/2016

2015 SDA Creative Promise Awards for Student Excellence

Molly Koehn MFA Candidate in Fibers, Spring 2017 Arizona State University, Phoenix

MOLLY KOEHN Good As New Ikat-dyed tencel yarn, handwoven, 31" x 101", 2015. Textile photographed on an abandoned building by the artist. INSET: MOLLY KOEHN Eat the Bad; Leave the Good Synthetic rust-dyed cotton, screen printing, hand embroidery, 12" x 12" x .25", 2015.

The Gaia hypothesis states that the earth is a self-regulating ecosystem. Every organism reacts and adjusts to its surroundings, creating a complex system that sustains life on earth. As climate change becomes more and more relevant, it is important to question the key role we play. I examine the basic ecosystems around us to search for answers. Instead of caring for the earth, we have used the planet’s resources without considering the consequences. I am currently examining the effect our dominance has had on the ecosystem, specifically through invasive flora. As we move plants from their indigenous habitats to new areas, many can snuff out the native species. Each plant interacts with the environment differently, and when invasive plants take over, the environment around them adjusts, creating a butterfly effect in the overall system of the planet. The effects of invasive plants are inspiration for my work. To create post-apocalyptic 78

views of a world where the planet fights back against humans, I use materials inherent to man, such as structure through the grid of weaving and support through steel and concrete. Mixing these materials with invasive plants on small and large scales speaks to the environmental relationship between humans and the planet. Through researching these invasions, I have realized a relentless battle of trying to “fix” the planet when we were the ones who “broke” it. The facilitation of invasive plants is only a small part of a long list of negative impacts we have on our environment. And while our efforts of trying to reverse the negative effects are full of good intention, we continue to meddle and alter the ecosystem to questionable ends. Molly Koehn is included in the 37th Annual Contemporary Crafts exhibition at Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona (February 12–April 24, 2016). www.mesaartscenter.com www.mollykoehn.com

Surface Design Journal

Lauren Mleczko BFA in Fibers and Furniture Design 2015

Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan Combining historic references with personal reflections, I create to better understand myself and the world around me. Using a variety of materials and processes, iconic references of the past are manifested and manipulated through the filter of contemporary design. I love history and start my process with in-depth research about historic buildings, clothing, and patterns, then translate key design elements to styles and trends of today. I love discovering how different materials react with others and how far you can push their limits. Working in both fibers and woodworking, I am able to use a broad array of tools and materials to explore and create. Working with exotic and urban wood, as well as natural and synthetic fibers, I push the structure of traditional techniques and practices within these mediums to design furniture, textiles, sculpture, and jewelry. ABOVE: LAUREN MLECZKO Curly Jacks Jacks game pieces wrapped in Queen Anne’s Lace yarn, steam-bent white oak and maple wood, 36" x 12", 2015. Detail LEFT TOP. RIGHT: LAUREN MLECZKO Milk Bearer Yarn, free-form crochet, found milk jug, 60" x 48", 2015. Photo: Helen Vachon.

Curly Jacks is an interactive work inspired by the shape and texture of the buttonbush plant. Viewers are invited to stack and balance pieces from the ancient game of Jacks wrapped in a Queen Anne's lace boucle yarn on steam-bent arches of white oak. My last name, Mleczko, means “milk” in Polish, and my zodiac sign is Aquarius the water bearer. Combining these two identifiers, I created the Milk Bearer installation. Milk is an ancient symbol for fertility, and milk jugs take on an anthropomorphic form relating to the female body. Being a lover of vintage items, free form doilies and the vintage milk jug came together with photography to express this idea of overflowing milk and femininity. Old Hollywood Goddess Altarpiece is an ode to femme fatales of the early 1900s. These are strong women who represented the ideal of beauty for that time period. Arranging them into the style of a Byzantine altarpiece references being holy and of the most high order. The glamour and grace of these women and other stars of that time are of a classic beauty. I identify with these women, feeling connected to them in a past life.

Surface Design Association’s annual Creative Promise Award for Student Excellence competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate-level SDA student members. A committee working with Naomi Adams selected the 2015 winners based on the artistic and technical merits of the applicants’ work. The winners received $750 that may be used toward tuition, materials, equipment, educational travel, or professional development expenses. The next application deadline is June 1, 2016. For information on how to apply for this and other SDA awards, click on the Get Involved tab, and go to the link SDA Awards & Grants at: www.surfacedesign.org

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2015 SDA Creative Promise Awards for Student Excellence Honorable Mention

Kathryn Shinko MFA in Textiles 2015 Kent State University, Ohio

KATHRYN SHINKO Vignettes: Tight Pink Industrially-woven tapestry, 55" x 65", 2015. Detail TOP

We are so indoctrinated into passive acceptance of pornographic imagery in the media that analyzing the role of language in pornography is impossible without removing its accompanying imagery. Vignettes is a series of large industrially-woven tapestries examining this language and its effects juxtaposed with non-pornographic images. Titles of streaming online videos from the website pornhub.com are woven among a range of photorealistic landscapes representing purity, majesty, and divinity. These contrasts—the noble landscapes and filthy phrases—are intensified through the medium of cloth with which we all have sensual familiarity. Like the human body, a textile has a tantalizing potential to be touched. Our intimacy with textiles allows us to look at them and translate what we see into memories and feelings. But when they are hung as art pieces in an exhibition space, they are untouchable. It is the same with human beings. When we watch pornography, our ability to imagine physical sensations is what makes it so pleasurable. But physical indulgence is forbidden. In fact, the physical detachment necessary in the creation of Vignettes in some ways paralleled the experience of viewing pornography; it was a process that involved my looking and imagining by designing on the computer, but only when the weavings were woven and mailed back to me could I touch them. Separating these vulgar phrases from their visual contexts reveals the dehumanizing, sexist, and violent qualities of pornographic language. Why is this important? Because these qualities are not arbitrary or context-specific. Rather, they reflect our societal concept about the position of women, in particular, and about the extent of our voyeuristic privilege. Kathryn Shinko is included in OH+5: The Ohio Border Exhibition at Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio, through March 12, 2016. dairybarn.org/exhibits www.kathrynshinko.com

KATHRYN SHINKO Vignettes: Busty Brunette Babe Industrially-woven tapestry, 55" x 65", 2015. 80

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Danielle Kelly executivedirector@surfacedesign.org Surface Design Journal Editor

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of the Surface Design Association, a non-profit educational organization. SURFACE DESIGN ASSOCIATION Our Vision: To inspire creativity, encourage innovation, and

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