air: a texture of life

Selected piece in juried Time Based Air Salon

VI International Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art

Presented at Museum Diego Rivera Anahuacalli

May - July 2011

Ixchel Suarez

Work Title: Air: A texture of life

Year made: 2011

Duration 5 minutes

Reproduction DVD Quicktime video

Production Team

The Elements

Victor Del Corral (USA) Composer & Performer
Michael Przysiezny (CAN) Multi Media
Sofia Powell (CAN) Video
Myriam Suarez (MEX) Poetry(Spanish-English-Nahuatl)
Ixchel Suarez (CAN) Concept, Textile Production, Photography, Video& voice

Concept of the work. AIR: A Texture of Life

The integration of images, poetry and music with a woven structure became a new entity in itself expanding the original dimension of the piece into a broader object in which these elements flow inside it, resembling air passing through textures.

Music flowing in a spiralling motion, moving swiftly through valleys and peaks absorbing colours from the woven structure and dancing in unison with it. From sketch to fabric, integrating cord by cord.

Inspired by the emotion of the music created especially for AIR, the film flows seamlessly between stills and video, and captures the spirit of the piece, bringing it to life.

Words became the common thread weaving cultures, ideas and diverse art forms. It was through them that this project came to life, uniting us, The Elements, and allowing us to creatively express our own sense of freedom.

Project Time Based Video: AIR: A Texture of Life

(Poem in English, Spanish and Nahuatl). Written by: Myriam Suarez (MEX)

Y si n o es de él…. De que está formado nuestra vida…Air blowing through the trees.

Si no fuera por el…..como viajarían nuestras ilusiones…Air playing in the leaves.

Air brushing against the sky… Los amores que vuelan lejos, libres….como existirían?

Air releasing my soul… donde los sueños reposarían

blooming flowers seem to shiver in a dance....AIR… donde la trama del corazón latente pulsaría?

as falling into a very special kind of trance....AIR… A I R E …….EJEKATL………regresa….. tlakuepa….abraza….napaloli

AIR eternal AIR… Mariposa, papalotl vuela libre, alto por el profundo mar de ….aire… brisa del mar: amixtli

AIR and ever lasting AIR… Amante, ama con locura desenfrenada en lo profundo del mar

KITE SURFS SPEEDING UP TO BE SAFE……..aire…….abraza mis locuras

AS YOU WHISPER A SECRET IN HER EAR.....AIR… Aire……. Desdobla mis ilusiones….eterno….. amotlamini

AND AIR CARRIES IT AROUND THE WORLD… Aire…… aleja mis temores mas profundos

AND DECIDES WHERE IT WILL TAKE IT… Aire….átame al amor

CLOSE YOUR EYES… Aire…..desata los prejuicios

LET YOUR HEART FLOAT THROUGH AIR… Cuando caigan las estrellas, no permitas que golpeen mi ser

LISTEN TO ALL THE SECRETS JUST LIKE A LULLABY… Llévame en tus brazos… papalotli….

COSMIC KARMA SURROUNDING MY SOUL… enséñame tu manera de siempre ir ligero

COMPLETING THE JOY… Y si caigo ayúdame a proteger mi caída….llévate los pensamientos de odio y rencor

LIFE...DEATH.....CREATION....LIBERATION........SOUND AND SORROW

LAUGHTER AND PAIN.......NOW AND THEN

AIR.....BEAUTIFUL LIGHT… Enséñame temachtia, a bailar como las hojas del maple en una tarde de otoño

AIR.....GRACEFUL SIGHT… Ven, ven, ven, ven a mi….aire.

AIR.... La paz, paxia que he encontrado en ti es la paz de una estrella que cayendo va

.A THOUGHT… Una estrella nunca cae….tú la invitas a viajar.

..AIR...AIRE... paraguas etéreo en tiempos de lluvia. Kiauitl...AIR...AIRE…

...ART, ETHAREAL LOVE. Air, Air, Air…

New tapestry released - video -

I know it is such a short video but couldnt wait to share it with you all. Congratulations Judy for this wonderful tapestry!

New tapestry released today!

The charcoal fallen from their torches, their fires, a few objects, bones and flint tools left on the ground are the remains of meals or of sundry activities. They are also part of the documentation unwittingly left by prehistoric people in the caves. From their study, one can say that in most cases painted or engraved caves were not inhabited, at least for long periods. Fires were temporary and remains are relatively scarce. (1)

It is precisely what motivated Judy to work on such a beautiful tapestry.

Today she had the joy of seeing it take flight released from its loom.

The gradation of her wools was superb and the combination of her hues and tones made the desired effect in the full piece.

The majority of human history is a history about which we know almost nothing. But we do know that something as uniquely human as artistic activity began to emerge on a grand scale nearly forty thousand years ago (Lewis-Williams & Clottes 1998). Staggering finds have been made in Australia, Africa, parts of Asia, and in various parts of Europe. We are dealing then with a universal phenomenon. While the spectacular caves of Southwestern Europe typically get all the fanfare, impressive finds of prehistorical artistry come from all over the globe. (2)

Cave paintings is an art that even now, after millions of years it still surprises us as well as creates such a fascination.

Some anthropologists and art-historians also theorize that the paintings could be an account of past hunting success, or could represent a mystical ritual in order to improve future hunting endeavors. This latter theory is supported by the overlapping images of one group of animals in the same cave-location as another group of animals, suggesting that one area of the cave was more successful for predicting a plentiful hunting excursion.

Daniel Quinn, in The Story of B, hypothesizes that the paintings were instructional in nature, created in order to communicate successful hunting strategies.

The techniques, so Judy comments- is not only painting on the walls.

On behalf of the Oakville Tapestry Studio I would like to congratulate Judy for her wonderful work. This tapestry is not only an inspiration for the technique but also to encourage us to learn more about this fascinating period of Human developement. Yes, we have advanced in techniques, but what we need yet to learn from these artists is still to come. Colour & composition dialogue side by side in these wonderful caves.

Way to go Judy. Cant wait to see your next project on assure techniques. Surprise us all again!

(1) Paleolithic Cave Paintings and Rock Art in France : Extracted from the Adorant magazine 2002

by Dr Jean Clottes

(2) THE SACRED CAVE: TOWARDS AN ASSUMPTION OF RELIGION IN THE UPPER PALEOLITHIC

John J. McGraw, Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093 (jmcgraw@ucsd.edu)

Finally, back on track.

INTERESTING SUMMER!
(better late than never)

After several months I decided to go back to writing in this space. Not that I did not want to, it is just so many thing happening in my life lately.

Interesting work projects, getting to know interesting people such as Nga from Virginia, USA. For me and my family it was so interesting to meet someone from Vietnam. From music, to traditions, to food, to even learning how to kiss...!



Sometimes it is only what you know about readings or movies that you have a rough idea, but sharing valuable time with Nga was one of those fascinating experiences ever. Sensitive lady with so many things to share.




She did a wonderful job not only in the plain weave but also in the exercises regarding spacial weaving or 3-D structure.




Kate Kitchen, from Toronto, was also another lovely encounter at the Studio. She shared with us her knowledge and skills in weaving, and of course her fascinating ideas for wonderful one-of-a-kind coloured scarves.

Kate developed a small tapestry during the course inspired in one of her pictures with sea theme. The composition of the picture was beautiful and we had the opportunity to explore different textures along the project. She did wonderful job, especially in terms of colour. The idea is not to copy, but to explore the essence of the image through texture.




This is a fragment of her picture and below is the piece in process.



All this happening through Summer, when suddenly my right elbow started having some problems in tendons, ligaments and muscles....

Great, just what i needed. I am in the process of creating a large body of works for for an exhibition in 2013, plus commitments and commissions and it is one of those things I just don't need right now.

Anyway. I prefer not to talk about that because weaving is what keeps me moving, breathing, loving....

Going back to creating, which is what keeps us alive, I can tell you that the progress of the tapestry inspired in one of my daughters pictures is coming really nice. Slow, v e r y
s
l
o
w....

but I really feel I am capturing the essence of the textures and the colour-composition.

The different materials I am using are amazing and even though is little by little, I am enjoying it so much!

Amazing encounter

Memories.....memories....


Today I was so excited!
I am going to tell you a story from long time ago.
Due to my Dads professional commitments, back in 1973 my family and I moved to Thunder Bay, in northern Ontario. He was appointed to be the Director of the Faculty of Music at Lakehead University and to be Director of the Symphony Orchestra. The experience for my Dad was amazing, for my brother, my sister and me was awesome. Being kids who wouldn't love to be playing in the snow all the time. And I mean, year round! they even made jokes about how cold it was: this year, Summer falls on Thursday...ha ha ha!

I guess the only one who really had a hard time was my Mom, who doesn't like cold at all. Especially being far away from her parents and raising 3 small kids. What a change.



If I think today I live far away from my Country, where Oakville is just 20 minutes away from Toronto, well let me tell you that Thunder Bay is still 1,798 kms still north from here!

The thing is that in the time we lived in Thunder Bay (which by the way is a very very cold City), where my brother and I would be ice skating in an outdoor rink at 10 pm when -40 degrees where a common temperature.

This is me and my sister outside our front door enjoying the snow.


















Well, why do I refer to this precise moment in time. Well, 40 years have passed and today I had a visit from Friedl Ballaban, a good friend and member of our Oakville Handweavers and Spinners Guild plus the Spinning Chair for the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners OHS.

She came with Diana Bockus, a wonderful lady from THUNDER BAY!!!! Yes, from Thunder Bay!






For many of you this does not represent any other than a random event. For me it brought back memories of my childhood, the memory of my Dad, the thought of so many great friends we left there.
My best friends, Kelly Piper and Leslie, the Cotton Family, the Sellicks....

Thanks to all those memories kept alive for so many years was precisely that now, with my husband and my kids we looked up to Canada to continue our lives. As some of you know, we moved back again to Canada 6 years ago. Now my kids, 13 and 15 are registering in their own way some of the memories they will share with their own kids.



Thunder Bay, I promise I will go back to you someday and I will bring my kids along.To show them my school, my house, my life where I grew up and had wonderful moments.
Take them to see the Sleeping Giant, and the kakabeka Falls or Centennial Park .


(Bye for now from this personal comment)