IMPORTANT INFO

De rerum natura (On The Nature of Things)

Common Thread International Exhibition

The exhibition will be called De rerum natura (On The Nature of Things). It will be a highly eccentric show where all the artwork is dealing with themes of nature, plants and animals. Environmental work is the most dominant theme I've observed in contemporary fibre art. I'm aiming for a lush and colourful environment with lots of really bold work. There is some very striking and sometimes bizarre work. The title of the exhibition is based on the Roman poem De rerum natura by Lucretius who's rediscovery was a major inspiration for Renaissance artists.

There are 35 artists in the exhibition. It features work in a huge variety of media and will include installation, sculpture and 2D work in a large variety of sizes.

Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre, Oakville, Ontario

Curator: Gareth Bate, Toronto

Artists: 

Canada: British Columbia: Vancouver: Bettina Matzkuhn, Carlyn Yandle, Manitoba:Winnipeg: Heather Komus, Ingrid Lincoln, New Brunswick: Saint John: Sandra Betts,Ontario: Alliston: Amy Bagshaw, Kingston: Phillida Hargreaves, Robin Laws Field, Sylvia Naylor, Kitchener: Joanne Young, Mississauga: Pat Hertzberg, Toronto: Lizz Aston, karen darricades, Libby Hague, Jillian MacLachlan, Liz Menard, Leanne Shea Rhem, Sheila Thompson, Tweed: Marta Mouka, Oakville: Sybil Rampen, Ixchel Suarez, Ottawa: Sayward Johnson, Rockwood: Susan Strachan Johnson, Quebec:Montreal: Soufïa Bensaïd, Emily Jan, Valérie d. Walker, St-Sauveur: Marjolein Dallinga, Saskatchewan: Meacham: June Jacobs, Denmark: Copenhagen: Birgitta Hallberg, United Kingdom: Liverpool: Sarah Martin, USA: California: San Francisco:Chris Motley, Georgia: Atlanta: Leisa Rich, Massachusetts: Somerville: Jodi Colella,Oregon: Philomath: Laura G. Berman, Virginia: Charlottesville: Lotta Helleberg.

Dates: Nov 2 - 18 (Oakville).

Venue

Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre in Oakville, Ontario, Canada is an old barn that has been turned into a gallery. They were one of the main exhibitions in the 2009 festival. Joshua Creek is a vibrant arts complex in the countryside of Oakville. The farmland around the complex is very beautiful. The rustic nature of the venue is perfect for the theme of this show. See Venues page on the website for images: http://www.worldofthreadsfestival.com/venues.html

Address: 1086 Burnhamthorpe Road East, Oakville

Opening Reception

I would like all local GTA artists to attend the Opening Reception in Oakville. Sunday November 4th, 2012. 2 - 5 pm. If you are planning to travel from farther away to see the shows, please let me know. The other main Oakville shows will also be open on that day.

Momento mori

Common Thread International Exhibition

I'm setting up the De rerum natura show in opposition to Momento mori my other exhibition at The Gallery at Sheridan Institute in Oakville. That exhibition will deal with themes of death, mortality and grief. All the work is very dark and the polar opposite of the De Rerum Natura show. All the work engages with techniques or the aesthetic of fibre, but none of the work is actually made of fibre materials. This was based on the "Fibre Inspired" call for submissions.

The Gallery at Sheridan Institute, Oakville, Ontario

Curator: Gareth Bate, Toronto

Artists: 

Canada: Ontario: Barrie: Lisa Brunetta, Cambridge: Nancy Yule, Niagara-on-the-lake:Wendyth Anderson Breedveld, Stratford: Wendy O'Brien, Toronto: Carrie Chisholm, Nicole Collins, David Cumming, Robert Davidovitz, Camilla Geary-Martin, Susan Lukachko, Mary McKenzie, Lilly Otasevic, Rochelle Rubinstein, Oakville: Ixchel Suarez, Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw: Anna Hergert, USA: North Carolina: Raleigh:Megan Bostic.

Gareth Bate

Festival & Exhibition Curator

World of Threads Festival

Local, National & International Contemporary Fibre Art

Website: http://www.worldofthreadsfestival.com

Email: garethbate@rogers.com

Home Phone:             416-530-0057      

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

World of Threads Festival 2012

World of Threads Festival 2012 is here!


I am happy to announce that 4 of my pieces got into this wonderful  International show.









 Not only I am thrilled to participate together with all of these fabulous artists listed below, but also I am glad to know that my art,  in spite of many transformations that have lately been going through, it is still on the eye and interest of viewers. I appreciate this support for it has not been easy keep up the work having health issues due to strong tendinitis in my right arm.


In a way, things I believe happen for a reason. The fact that I had to be more controlled in the times dedicated to my art, detonated interest into working with other materials than the ones I am used to.















For the past 28 years I have been in the process of exploring different techniques both in weaving structures and in surface design. From Batik, reserve techniques and natural dyes, into different weaving structures, from flat weave into 3-D weaving. All were still very organic.

Memories of a Birch Tree
Tapestry Haute Lisse
4.00 M  H  X  1.80 m W

Today while working for my big show next year at the BAC, I started analyzing not only different materials such as paper, metallic ribbons and metal scrap, but also integrating light into them! How cool is that. 



















I don't want to go all the way to ONLY installation, because i am a weaver at heart, but it has been really interesting to work with all of these materials and exploring yet other structures.


I will be attending Convergence 2012 in Long Beach. There I have signed up for interesting workshops integrating optic fibres into weaving structures.























I really don't know where all of this will lead me to. After this trip I will be  having an arm operation, and I am sure, since everything we experience reflects into another situation, my work will have another strange yet interesting detour.


For now i can tell you that everything I am doing I am having lots of fun and cant wait to do even more!
This idea of integrating semi rigid materials and then adding weaving is so fun to do. I am finding more things to weave.  Of course, the idea of processing my own images of nature and the studies of fractals in Nature has been a theme that has been calling my attention for the past years. Today i am studying more and more about textures, repetitions and how they relate both in weaving structures as in nature around us. The repetition of a scar in a tree relates directly on how the tree reproduces around he forest. This in a Macro lens. But if you go deep into the MICRO worlds we see the same patterns repeating until we reach our smallest expression (cells) and we see the same repeated pattern...Isn't it fascinating!


This last image is from own of my pieces: Fractals of Nature:
 The idea came precisely while analyzing a patterned structure. It caught my attention and reading more the research led into the repeated patterns of a hurricane and how, as unpredictable that might be, it can be written in a mathematical equation.




Like cancer cells that they tend to, for some reason, reproduce abnormally, the hurricanes also present a repeated pattern that eventually will break the rhythm and present itself into a huge storm. These patterns follow a structured equation, same as the branches of a tee.

Still need to study more, but for now, all the images I have prepared for interpreting to be fibre-produced, are all related to the same theme. Very organic and yet, free spirited.




Momento mori

Common Thread International Exhibition

The Gallery at Sheridan Institute, Oakville, Ontario

Curator: Gareth Bate, Toronto

Artists: 

Canada: Ontario: Barrie: Lisa Brunetta, Cambridge: Nancy Yule, Niagara-on-the-lake:Wendyth Anderson Breedveld, Stratford: Wendy O'Brien, Toronto: Carrie Chisholm, Nicole Collins, David Cumming, Robert Davidovitz, Camilla Geary-Martin, Susan Lukachko, Mary McKenzie, Lilly Otasevic, Rochelle Rubinstein, Oakville: Ixchel Suarez, Saskatchewan: Moose Jaw: Anna Hergert, USA: North Carolina: Raleigh:Megan Bostic.

De rerum natura (On The Nature of Things)

Common Thread International Exhibition

Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre, Oakville, Ontario

Curator: Gareth Bate, Toronto

Artists: 

Canada: British Columbia: Vancouver: Bettina Matzkuhn, Carlyn Yandle, Manitoba:Winnipeg: Heather Komus, Ingrid Lincoln, New Brunswick: Saint John: Sandra Betts,Ontario: Alliston: Amy Bagshaw, Kingston: Phillida Hargreaves, Robin Laws Field, Sylvia Naylor, Kitchener: Joanne Young, Mississauga: Pat Hertzberg, Toronto: Lizz Aston, karen darricades, Libby Hague, Jillian MacLachlan, Liz Menard, Leanne Shea Rhem, Sheila Thompson, Tweed: Marta Mouka, Oakville: Sybil Rampen, Ixchel Suarez, Ottawa: Sayward Johnson, Rockwood: Susan Strachan Johnson, Quebec:Montreal: Soufïa Bensaïd, Emily Jan, Valérie d. Walker, St-Sauveur: Marjolein Dallinga, Saskatchewan: Meacham: June Jacobs, Denmark: Copenhagen: Birgitta Hallberg, United Kingdom: Liverpool: Sarah Martin, USA: California: San Francisco:Chris Motley, Georgia: Atlanta: Leisa Rich, Massachusetts: Somerville: Jodi Colella,Oregon: Philomath: Laura G. Berman, Virginia: Charlottesville: Lotta Helleberg.

 Gareth Bate

Festival & Exhibition Curator

World of Threads Festival

Local, National & International Contemporary Fibre Art

Website: http://www.worldofthreadsfestival.com

Jaworska"s loom has a new home

A couple of Months a go I came across an add referring to a loom for sale. After inquiring a little bit more, I found out that it was not just A loom. It was the wonderful historical artifact in which Tamara Jaworska had made most of her wonderful tapestry production. As you all know,

Tamara Jaworska is the most renowned Canadian fiber artist and weaver in the discipline of tapestry/gobelin, Her amazing tapestries have won her national and international recognition.

Her skill as an artist-weaver belongs to the disciplines that were born more than five hundred years ago, while the pictorial essence of her tapestries is pure twentieth-century: dynamic and original in design, splendid in colours and filled with new and surprising forms. "Tamara Jaworska is an artist whose gobelin-tapestries reflect the sensibility, intelligence and vigor of a dynamic personality" wrote Glen E. Cumming.

Being a weaver for such a long time you learn that tapestry is a slow, meditative art expression. It relates to get closer to your loom. Being immersed into your work for months and months, this artifact becomes part of you. It is precisely when I realized that this loom has an essence of its own. Tamara had woven more than 100 tapestries in this precise instrument.

First I received a note from a friend of mine and wonderful weaver, Kate Kitchen. She sent me all the information and encouraged me to think about it. She knew about my interest in teaching and in sharing the experience of weaving with peers, colleagues and friends.

Honestly, as much as I wanted, it was just a matter of wanting. For several reasons I though twice. First of all, the economical factor was one of the most important issues. Not that this loom was worth each cent of it, it is the fact that I am starting my own Art school and it required quite an investment for me already.

Secondly, the space factor: back in my Country, Mexico, I owned a private textile school where I offered all different kinds of textile approaches. I knew the space required for these types of looms, for I had 7 of these, and living in different parts it is not easy to allocate them, sell them, or even give them away for free. They can use almost one full room, which with my art school I am already committed to restrict the space available.

Thirdly, relating to health, I have been struggling with a tendinitis on my right elbow that needs to be addressed sometime soon....

So as you see, the decision was not easy. As much as I wanted to revive the energy and try to get as much as I could from Tamara's good and wonderful vibes, my decision to pass on this opportunity was just fast to say.

However, weeks passed and I was just not comfortable on this decision. In my studio, the oakville Tapestry Studio, all the members where as excited as I was still just by the thought of being close to this loom. I has nightmares, dreams, thoughts....all came to me all at the same time.

I was thinking: well, the money I don't have, but what if I do an effort. This would be really worth the time and thought put into this. I am a person who loves to teach, and it was precisely one of the conditions that Monica Schut, great artist and the previous soul keeper of this wonderful piece and friend of Tamara's, who had in her possession the loom for over 15 years made as a request.

She mentioned to me at the first interview with her, that what Tamara wanted was to make this loom a significant tool for new generations to learn from.

This is not only one single loom. It was manufactured and custom made for Tamara from one of the most important builders from Poland. It was made of a special Polish hard wood tree and brought by boat over 40 years ago. Tamara had made all the specifications to have it made exactly as she required to weave large scale tapestries.

Weeks again passed by and I had no other than to think of this wonderful loom, and just the thought that it might be going to to another studio, it just made me so sad.

That week, the odds where on my side. I managed to sell 2 tapestries and that was the signal! This loom had to be for our Studio. Where other people would take advantage of the use and just to see it operating it again was a wonderful idea. But where? Space was another important issue. There came Stella. One wonderful member of our Studio who immediately jumped into the emergency:She said: " I have room, I have my basement where I have all my art studio "...I have to say that Stella not only is a wonderful weaver, jewelery designer, but a quilter, painter, bead work and needle weaving...among many other crafts, she is a truly giving person.

 I could not believe this! Everything just had such an energy to have this loom brought into our lives. Into life again!

I have loved large scale for a long time. Our Studio is now in the beginning of exploring the large format, and what better that by using this magnificent loom.

Here I am with Monica, who showed us all of Tamara s works, awards, posters and images that came together with the loom.

 Below is one of Tamara's Quartet Series. Magnificent in image and stunning to see them live at the First Canadian Bank.

More images still to come, but for now let me share these ones. Here in the picture is Yamile, Stella, Petar, Myriam and Mari Carmen. All together we brought piece by piece the loom into the basement. it creates a warm atmosphere already.

Thank you guys for making this dream come true.

Exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

Woven Bridges Slide Show

www.youtube.com

Polish pride weaves its tapestry spell in Almonte - Entertainment - By Desmond Devoy Almonte/Carleton Place Entertainment Arts

I would like to take this space to thank Krystyna sadej for inviting me and all the participant artists: Thoma Ewen. Thomas Chronenberg, Monique Lehman, Ewa Mazusz-Bartosz.

All together we presented a very eclectic yet interesting view of contemporary tapestries in Almonte, Ontario, at the Mississippi Valley textile Museum.

I appreciate the press review presented by Desmond Devoy. It is always important to show Public in general the presence of the fibre arts, especially tapestry. It is such a delicate, time-consuming technique that the awareness of such manufactures by the community is essential.

Ontario Arts Council Big Thanks

A year has passed and it is time to reflect upon all the wonderful projects accomplished. This year i had the opportunity to receive the Visual Arts Grant from the Ontario Arts Council as I have mentioned before in several occasions. I have to thank this organism that enables us, artists, to keep up our art by supporting economically.

The Mayor Rob Burton honoured us to do the cutting of the large tapestry woven at Joshua Creek Heritage Art Centre who opened its wing in the attic for us to weave. We thank Sybil Rampen for her initiative to host the loom on her facility.

Thanks to the Grant I was able to produce different and new ideas in the fibre field such as these trees. Since it was destined the 2011 as the UN International Year for Trees and Forests, I created this installations with the assistance of Sophie Kudukis.

Textures from the Air, an interesting Installation woven in tapestry technique was selected to be displayed at the Museum Diego Rivera in Mexico City during the VI International Biennial of Contemporary Textiles May 2011

Scars From Nature was one of the 3 tapestries woven during this GRANT Year.

It is not only the money received. it is the possibility to destine time and all your effort into a creative passion. The art field is difficult if you intend to live on it. I teach painting and for other things in order to sustain my art. Weaving is not a very well know technique and it is very time consuming. The production of one sole tapestry woven by one person can take from 2 to8 months, depending on the size, the separation of the warp, the materials, or the design. Thanks to the support of the Ontario Arts Council I was able to:

- produce more artwork and leaving my painting classes a bit behind,

- buy new and interesting specialty yarns,

- create more installations different to what I was doing,

- explore new mediums (Multi and integrated media)

- Participate in more international forums,

- spend more time writing on tapestry and fibre art publications...

For this and more...thanks to:

I would like to encourage artists and all creators who depend on their art to approach these wonderful institutions for support. They are there for us!

Scars from Nature

Amazing camping . Scars from Nature


My Latest tapestry

Last fall, after participating in the 13 Moons International Exhibit in Gatineau, we had the opportunity to spend some family time together with my kids and my husband camping in a wonderful site . There, not only the wilderness of the place was fascinating due to the exuberant deep thick forest, but also for the many different creatures and living species growing around.

It was in one of those hikes that my daughter Sofia decided to make a stop and take a picture. She was amazed about these yellow fungus growing here and there

.

She called to show us the picture she took. The hike kept on going with random pictures from here and there.

On our return, I was really happy to see that she not only has a view for choosing interesting views and different things through the lens, but also to notice she has such an artistic sense of composition.

The image of the fungus was really interesting. The intricate interior of a burned tree created some scars that only time and weather are able to create.

Thanks to the support of the Ontario Arts Council I was able to have assistance in the weaving of this tapestry. Here is Yamile Roa, member of the Canadian Tapestry Network, the Tapestry Studio, the HGA of America and the Oakville Handweavers and Spinners Guild.

Thank you for your help, especially now that I have been under cortisone in my right elbow due to tendinitis.

This tapestry was interesting to weave especially for the different materials used. Specialty yarns where carefully selected and the colours we obtained were so interesting.