The Station Spin

Baltimore: Open City--Opening Soon

2011-03-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Galerie Myrtis Events

2011-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Galerie Myrtis

2224 N. Charles Street

(corner of 23rd and Charles)

Black Male Identity Project

Community Art Open House

Saturday, February 26, 2011

noon-4pm

Emergence: Contemporary Artists to Watch

March 11-April 30, 2011

Opening Reception

Saturday, March 12, 2011

2-7pm

Artists' Mixer

Saturday, April 9, 2011

5-9pm

Musical Guests: Strings and Things

New Art Blog

2011-02-10T22:20:00.001-08:00

Check out this new addition to the blogosphere: http://open-bag.blogspot.com/

Second Skin

2011-02-10T20:07:00.001-08:00

Following are a few images and links that might be inspiring and hopefully interesting and enlightening:

Oregonia Gracilis (Decorator or Dresser crab) festooned in sea weed. Watch a BBC video about them here.)

Girl in Harajuku area of Tokyo, Japan.

Boy of the Omo Valley, Ethiopia, captured by Hans Silvester.

A caddis fly building its caseA weaverbird nest in Namibia.

Fishing Line (2006) and detail by Tara Donovan

Accumulation of Yo-Yos by MICA grad, Marla Parker.

An experimental coverlet crocheted by Emily Barletta, a MICA fiber alumnus.

Catherine Bertola's Dust Collection, 1999.

The works of Anu Tuominen (above). For more inspiring work, visit her website here.

Above, the works of Kimsooja. For more information, including her Bottari project, visit her website.

Nancy Rubin's Mattresses and Cakes (1993)

El Anatsui's Bleeding, 2007.

Dave Cole's Knitting with Loaded Shotguns, 2008.

Fishing Nets in Maine.

Fashion designer Hiroshige Maki's Rubber Band Dress (1993)

Untitled by the 'outsider/visionary' artist, Judith Scott.

Traditional Shaman's Cloak, Central Asia

Coral Reef

an assortment of Nick Cave's Soundsuits

Bamileke Feathered Costume - Cameroon Mabu and below, a dancer in costume.

Annette Messager's "My Boarders" (1972)

Lucy Orta's Refuge Wear and Habitent. For more information about these projects visit the Studio Orta website.

Kaija Kiuru's "Chamber" 2002, made from lace. "

Knitted superhero costumes by Mark Newport (2006-2010)

One of Lucy & Bart's collaborations described as "described as an instinctual stalking of fashion, architecture, performance and the body." More on their website here.

Dave Cole's Kevlar Baby Onesie, 2008.

Rosalie de Monod de Froideville's Hideaway (2006-2008).

The images of Phyllis Galembo:

Atam Masquerader, in front of cotton silkwood tree, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Sierra Leone

Ano Dance Masquerade, Alok Village, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Okpo Masquerade, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005

The work of Eva Hesse:

Gallery Events this Weekend

2011-02-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to let you all know about the events are going on at the gallery I intern at:

Gallery Myrtis

2224 North Charles Street (Corner of Charles & 23rd)

Mix & Mingle with artist Charly Palmer - Sat. 2/12 4-6pm

(Music by Strings & Things - Ronald Williams & James Tart)

Artist Talk - Sun. 2/13 2-6pm

The show that's up right now is work in Charly Palmer's "Tar Baby" series. The work takes "Tar Baby" away from the racial epitaph & back to the original Brer Rabbit story.

Annie Jackson

2011-02-09T09:53:00.002-08:00

Paraffin wax cast hands with amber led lights embedded

Weaving

2011-02-07T13:06:00.001-08:00

an illustration of a Coptic loom from an Egyptian tomb painting, Middle Kingdom, circa 1680 BC

We started to explore the ancient art of weaving and making cloth today. We 'built' a loom, warped the loom, and started to build cloth by filling the warp with weft yarn to create cloth.

The technique we are using is tapestry weave, which can be used to produce textile structures from the simplest to the most complex. "Tapestry weave allows the artist substantial freedom over weaving techniques in the creation of complex imagery and design." (from Exploring Tapestry Weave, an educational brochure produced by The Textile Museum.) One of the most impressive examples of a tapestry weave is the famous Unicorn Tapestries, exhibited in the Cloisters, part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

"Little is known about their early history, though the seven hangings are thought to have been designed in Paris and woven in Brussels (then part of the Netherlands) between 1495–1505, and might have originally come from several sets. They are among the most beautiful and complex works of art to survive from the Middle Ages.

Traditionally known as The Hunt of the Unicorn, these tapestries were woven in wool, metallic threads, and silk, and include the depiction of 101 species of plants, of which over 85 have been identified. The vibrant colors still evident today were produced with three dye plants: weld (yellow), madder (red), and woad (blue)." (from the Met Museum website.)

As we discussed in class, weaving is an art/craft developed by people all over the world. "Archaeologists believe that basket making and weaving were probably the first 'crafts' developed by humans...The exact date of the first handwoven works...remains a mystery, [though] there is evidence of cloth being made in Mesopotamia and in Turkey as far back as 7000 to 8000 BC" (Susan Wylly, "A Brief History of Weaving").

Ghanain weaver working on Kente cloth.A Peruvian woman makes double weave belts on a body-tensioned loom.A Chinese woman weaving with silk.

A Navajo woman making a tapestry weave blanket on an upright loom (left) and a drag loom used by Ghanaian weavers (right) in which the warps are tensioned with a heavy stone on a sledge.

A Peruvian weaver working on a backstrap loom.

In the 20th century, there have been some significant contributors to the art and craft of weaving, artists and designers too many to mention, though a few prominent figures follow:

Gunta Stolzl, 5 Choirs, Jaquard wall hanging, 1928. Gunta was a founding member of the Bauhaus. For more information and images of her spectacular design and textile work,visit the Gunta Stolzl foundation website.

Anni Albers, Red Meander, 1954. For more information about Anni Albers and her work with the Bauhaus, visit the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation or the exhibition pages of MOMA's Bauhaus show.

Magdalena Abkanowicz working on her Abakans above and sitting with one of her 'Abakans' below. (circa 1969).

Sheila Hicks, Toe Tab, 1973

It is also worthwhile to consider the tradition of an 'artist' designing a 'cartoon' or image for a tapestry, that is then translated and fabricated by a team of highly skilled artisans. This is discussed at length in the Arthur Danto reading posted on the Google Docs site, "Reflections on Fabric and Meaning: From the Tapestry to the Loincloth."

Above, a tapestry of a Romare Bearden design by the French weaving studio, Pinton. A variety of artist's works interpreted or produced by weaving studios and individual craftspeople can be found at the website of the Gloria F. Ross Tapestry Center.

I.P.A. D.U.I (Sabrina Chin)

2011-02-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

This is a documentary shot on 16mm black and white film on a guy who brews beer.

Reliquaries Exhibits

2011-02-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

Here's some information on the reliquaries exhibitions that I mentioned last class:

First of all, reliquaries are typically ornate containers designed to hold the remains and possessions of dead saints. Although this practice is best known among Catholics and Eastern Orthodox in the Western world, similar traditions exist among the peoples of Central Africa. However, the show at the Walters will only feature reliquaries from Medieval Europe.

Reliquary Ensemble

Kota peoples, Mindumu group; Gabon

19th century

Wood, iron, copper, lead, zinc, feathers, fiber, leather, bone, skin

H. 22 13/16 in. (58 cm)

Musée du Quai Branly, Paris

71.1897.39.1

The Walters Art Museum will be running the exhibition "Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics, and Devotion in Medieval Europe" from February 13 to May 15, 2011. This is a major traveling exhibition, which started in Cleveland, came to Baltimore and will go to London next. You can visit the site that they've devoted to this exhibit here:

http://thewalters.org/exhibitions/treasures-of-heaven/

Around the same time (The Walters' website says February 26 to May 22, 2011, but I think these dates may be a little off), The Walters will be showing "Relics and Reliquaries: Reconsidered." In this exhibition, eleven MICA students in Jann Rosen-Queralt's "Relics Reliquaries and Enshrined Materials" sculpture class and Barbara Baxter's "Reliquaries: Embodying the Sacred" art history class responded to "Treasures of Heaven." In addition to creating the artwork, we designed the printed materials and website, curated the show with 3D computer models, wrote the cell phone guide, wall labels, gallery guide text, etc.

The Walters has a small blurb about this show here:

http://thewalters.org/eventscalendar/eventdetails.aspx?e=1936

Also, we're supposed to have a website up (contemporaryrelics.net I believe), but it doesn't seem to be up and running yet...

One of my "reliquary books" from my "Relics of Motherhood" series for the Walters exhibit.

This exhibit expanded into another show at the Current Gallery, which will run from February 25-April 1, 2011 (I'm also not 100% on these dates). You can visit their site here:

http://www.currentspace.com/

They don't have anything about our exhibit up yet, but hopefully soon. When it gets going, our class website should have information on both our shows and exhibition spaces.

Enjoy. -Aden

Acid Dye

2011-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Click here for the acid dye recipe from ProChem!

POTLUCK with Bread and Puppet

2011-01-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

We are fortunate to be able to host members of the legendary Bread and Puppet Theater troupe at MICA on Friday, February 11th, during a tour stop in Baltimore.

After a workshop with students, we invite anyone who is interested in meeting the company and fellow students and community members to a:

POTLUCK
Station Building,
Room S-104
Friday, February 11
6:30-7:30 pm

Please bring a dish to share and a plate!

Questions? Please email: Valeska at vpopuloh@mica.edu

For more opportunities to see Bread and Puppet while they are in Baltimore:

* Bread and Puppet will be conducting a cantastoria workshop at the Visionary Art Museum on Saturday, February 11th at 1pm.

* They will be performing their Decapitalization Circus on Sunday, February 13th at the Creative Alliance.

* Bread and Puppet will be offering The Institute for Subversive Paper Maché, a community-based workshop on some of their approaches to performance and political action, on Monday, February 14th at 6pm at 2640/St.John's Church, located at 2640 St. Paul Street. For more information, please visit: www.redemmas.org/events/

colin alexander

2011-01-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

hey guys! here's something i made for elements class.

2011-01-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

This is Jackie Cadiente. I use natural resources for my work with a monochromatic palette.

First Draught

2011-01-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

This is Lisa. My major is still Undecided. (I don't know what I want but I do know what I don't want.)

art~

2011-01-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Untitled
Fall 2010
Theresa Borusso

FELT

2011-01-27T06:58:00.000-08:00

A felted saddle found in the frozen Pazyryk tombs in Siberia in 1949. The saddle might be as old as 2500 years.

A traditional Kazakh felt yurt, source: Wikipedia commons.

Turkish shepherd in traditional felt kepenek. source: Textile Museum

Traditional Valenki, or Russian felted boots. source: Wikipedia commons.

Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. Felt is one of the oldest known processes for creating 'cloth', and myths and legends abound about its origins which may date back 3500 years. The durable, insulating properties of felt have led to its application to a wide range of uses over the centuries, from home construction to musical instruments to felt-tip pens! Artists have also made use of the metaphoric and material meanings of felt in their work.

We will be experimenting with two approaches to making felt. One is true - or wet felting, where the natural wool fibre is agitated by friction and lubricated by moisture (using soap and water) in order to compress and lock together the fibers.

We will also be exploring needle felting, which is a process of matting, tangling and compressing the wool fibers without the use of water. Special barbed felting needles that are used in industrial felting machines are used as a sculpting tool. Fine details can be achieved using this technique, but the result has different applications than wet felting, since the felt is often not as durable or strong as the wet process.

For a fascinating look at one traditional felt rug process, watch this film by Peace Industries.

One artist from the 20th century who merits particular mention here is Joseph Beuys, a vastly influential artist who work in performance, political action, pedagogy, and provocative use of materials, left a significant mark.

Beuys' I like America and America Likes Me (1970)

Felt Suit

For more information about Joseph Beuys and these works, click here.

art! (Lola Borovyk)

2011-01-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, this is Lola.

I work in a variety of mediums, so it has been a challenge trying to figure out my major. However, I've been using wax and things like oatmeal, rice, coffee grounds, tea, etcetera in a lot of projects for my Elements class, and have recently been trying my hand at video and sound.

Here's my most recent one (from last week!)

Space / Distortion from Lola Borovyk on Vimeo.

it's meant to be projected onto a large piece of plastic material, but I have yet to document that part!

Aden Weisel

2011-01-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

Untitled life drawing

Permanent marker on corrugated cardboard

2010

Intro + Art (Jackson Lynch)

2011-01-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there. Im not really sure what I'm going to major in. It might turn into GFA or Illustration. Heres a drawing I did. It looks small in the picture but its actually like 26 x 35.

HEYHEE CHOI

2011-01-26T12:03:00.001-08:00

hi, this is Heyhee~

it snowed a lot today, my class got canceled :)) haha

- I used gum wrappers & chocolate wrappers& gloves& beads for those pieces.

I make clothings with candy wrappers.

(so,, if any of you has them on your desk or floor.., don't throw them away!!, give them to me haha

THANKS *^______^*)

2011-01-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

hi this is angela lee. this is something i did last semester in intro to GFA. it's giant macbook with ipod pillows.

Intro and Artwork (Austen Weitzel)

2011-01-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I like to think of myself as a sculptor, but i kind of do a little bit of everything. This is a little guy I made that I really like. Enjoy

Helllo, karen shea here

2011-01-22T07:45:00.001-08:00

"Olivia" mixed media, 9/2010

Posting to the blog

2011-01-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

As I mentioned in class, please take a moment this week to post an example of your work to the blog (so we get to know each other as artists a bit).

Here are the basics for uploading:
1. Sign into the gmail account with our class username and password
2. Go to thestationspin.blogspot.com
3. Click on "New Post" on the top right corner of the page
4. You will get to a window that looks very much like email, with a section for a title and the body of the text. Once you have written what you want to write, click on the small photo/picture icon.
5. Browse for the image that you wish to upload. Like this one:

These are Valais Blacknose Sheep from Switzerland

Please keep in mind that the images should be jpg's or png's. Tiff formats are not accepted by the blog software. Also, ideally - keep the size around 300 x 400 pixels at a screen resolution (72 dpi). Yo may have to resize some of your images to this - but that is good practice for the coming years at art school, for sure!

If you have any questions about how to upload, please feel free to email me. With best wishes for a good week!

Valeska

Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef

2011-01-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

The Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef is a project by the Institute For Figuring in Los Angeles. The Crochet Reef resides at the intersection of mathematics, marine biology, handicraft and community art practice, and also responds to the environmental crisis of global warming and the escalating problem of oceanic plastic trash. It is currently being exhibited at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Our department chair, Susie Brandt, will be speaking on a panel about the project "Contemporary Perspectives on Fiber and the Coral Reef Project" on Monday, February 7 at 6:30pm at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC. If you are interested in this event and want more information, let me know.

If anyone is curious about the ecological aspects of this work, please come on April 4 at 11 am to this classroom *(s206) . An oceanographers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who studies coral reefs and atolls and who helped to sponsor this exhibition will be visiting Jessica Braiterman's Collage and Sculptural Surfaces class!

Intro to Fibers- Allina Liu

2011-01-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, this is my study of Mongolian girl I did in 2009 in the XingJiang Province in China.
-Allina Liu

Intro. and Art (Megan Liggett)

2011-01-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! This is Megan Liggett... Um, nothing much to say really. I'm a painter mostly, but I'm open really to being any major at the moment. But here's some of my art from my high school portfolio-

(PS- Sorry for it being so big. But if you wish to see some other paintings/ drawings/ etc., here be my dA account- http://0angelicwings0.deviantart.com/ )

In the Beginning

2011-01-20T12:17:00.000-08:00

Cotton

In the first day of the class, we will begin with looking at FIBERS! Before we get to weaving, knitting, felting, sewing and embroidery... let's take a look at where these processes start!

In other words, to make cloth and to embed information into that cloth (through dyeing, printing, embroidery, other kinds of manipulation), we need raw materials. And all over the world, people utilize a broad array of materials for making cloth.

We will be focusing on PROTEIN fibers today (animals or things that grow out of animals, like sheep hair/wool and silk). Below are some images of protein fibers, as well as CELLULOSTIC fibers (things that grow out of the ground). Enjoy!

Angora Rabbit

Cashmere Goats

Merino Sheep

Shetland Sheep

Silk Moths and Cocoons

Silk Cocoon

Separating Silk Filament from the Cocoons

Alpaca

Flax (used to make linen)

Paper Mulberry (used to make bark or 'tapa' cloth)

Welcome to Introduction to Fiber!

2011-01-19T17:54:00.001-08:00

A Bolivian man with his Alpaca (herd in background). Source: Wikipedia Commons

Hello Friends of Fiber,

In our first class, we start with the base line of fiber (pun intended!) by learning about the carding and preparing of wool fiber for spinning. The practice of spinning fibers into yarn or some type of filament for use in making textiles has an immense and broad history, with varying traditions having developed around the world over the millenia! We are just scratching the surface.

examples of various wools and their staple lengths. source: Wikipedia Commons

A great place for some technical information online can be found at The Joy of Handspinning.

Another good source of history and information is: Spinning on the Drop Spindle

Ancient Roman carved bone spindle whorls, 1-2 cent. A.D. source: http://www.ancientresource.com/lots/roman/spindle-whorls.html

source: Wikipedia Commons

Woman in traditional Alsatian costume, 1870s. Photography, albumen print, source:http://www.bassenge.com/

If you are interested in acquiring your own drop spindle, you can order a spindle online, but you may wish to consider the alternative: making your own!

2011-01-19T17:53:00.001-08:00

Snowflakes

Snowflakes

Snowflakes

Winter Break

Snowflakes

New Year

Snowflakes

Time Passing

Knitting!

2010-12-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

On our last night of our class, looked back at the semester and reviewed briefly the various techniques (and thus underlying concepts) we have learned about in Introduction to Fiber. We started the semester learning to create 'a line' or single filament by spinning. We learned about creating cloth by matting or enmeshing fibers together in felting. We learned about building cloth using an interlocking of two sets of yarns or threads in weaving - 'filling' the warp with weft yarns in tapestry. Tonight, we looked at yet another way of building cloth by looping - in this case knitting (though crochet and lace would be included.) We built cloth using two pairs of needles and a single line. Following are a few images that relate to the history of knitting, as well as contemporary artists utilizing this technique:

Freddie Robinson Hand of God

Knit Knit Home Page

Ann Wilson's Topographies

Dave Cole's Knitting With Loaded Shotgun (Safeties Off) 2008

Freddie Robinson's I'm So Angry banner

Annet Messager, Boarders

Egyptian Socks, circa 300-500 AD

Danish artist Marianne Jørgensen created this pink tank cozy after she requested that knitters from all over the world send her knitted pink squares. She then filmed the process of stitching these squares together over the top of a WW1 tank as an artistic criticism of the Danes involvement in Iraq.

Body Count Mittens. For more info, and a pattern, visit: http://craftsanity.com/pdf/mittenpattern.pdf

A result of Cat Mazza's project MicroRevolt. Artist and activist Cat Mazza is the founder of microRevolt. This collective of "craftivists" develops projects which combine knitting with machines, and digital social networks to investigate and initiate discussion about sweatshop labour.

Ellen Dissanayake

2010-12-08T20:19:00.001-08:00

"Ellen Dissanayake is an independent scholar and lecturer who brings together theories about aesthetics, human development, psychology, and evolutionary biology in order to understand why humans have an "aesthetic imagination." Arguing that there are fundamental similarities between play, ritual, fantasy, and the more highly valued activity of "art-making," Dissanayake maintains that all of these behaviors of "making special" have an essential evolutionary value. In so doing, she argues that the humanities are not separate from, but are rather a part of, the human sciences.

...

Her three books, What Is Art For (1988), Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why (1995), and Art and Intimacy: How the Arts Began (2000), explore the consequences of the argument she makes in "The Core of Art," that the need to "make special" is part of humanity's genetic profile. ...Dissanayake asks her readers to rethink the place of art in their lives and to consider the possibility that the ongoing survival of the species may depend on the ability of its members to "make special."

-excerpted from The New Humanities Reader (www.newhum.com)

Xavier Hurtado video

2010-11-29T06:10:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, this video is a really beautiful description of an indigenous culture's philosophy, which related to the conversation from a few weeks ago about alternative systems of living. Enjoy!

http://gentiliapri.com/artwork/xavi_hurtado/nawapa/

THE GRAND FINALE

2010-11-23T07:43:00.001-08:00

Option 1: RESPONSE/TRANSLATION

You just researched a textile tradition, aspect of textile history, or textile process. Now, create a piece that responds to or incorporates aspects of your research. You may choose to respond to formal elements, such as design motifs or incorporate the process or techniques in creating the textile. You may also choose to respond to the sociological or cultural aspects of the tradition by addressing – for example, but not exclusive to - the rules that govern the making of the textiles, or the function they serve in a particular society. The important aspect of this assignment is that you do not attempt to recreate or replicate the textile tradition, but rather reinterpret or respond to it as a contemporary artist.

Option 2: PERSONAL PROPOSAL

A process, material, conceopt or project in this class has sparked an idea. You desperately want the time to develop it and make it manifest. This is your opportunity.

Options 1 and 2: IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS

How will the viewer interact with the piece you present? How will you install it and where? Will you perform it or otherwise engage us in your work? Comsider location/site, space/proximity, the hardware you use to install your work and how every choice you make regarding presentation affects how we view and understand your work.

Proposals due December 1

Critique/Final Project due December 8

Gabrel Dawe Fiber Art

2010-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys! It's Amelia, again. While surfing the internet, I came across Gabriel Dawe's portfolio website. He uses fiber to create some really exceptional pieces, and I think a lot of you might his work (especially if you enjoyed doing embroidery!)

Self portrait + thread on fabric + 20.5" x 27" aprox. + 2009

Fear of Inadequacy II + hand-embroidery on fabric + 20" x 28" aprox. + 2007

plexus no. 4 + site specific installation at the dallas contemporary + gütermann thread, wood and nails + 11' x 25' x 25' + 2010

You can find more of his work here, on his website. Hope you enjoy, and have a great Thanksgiving!!!

4D

2010-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Okay this is like the third time I'm trying to post this so dear lord please let it work. Anyways. What I was trying to show you guys is this video I just came across- I know it doesn't have to do with our class necessarily, but I want you guys to see it cause I'm blown away by it! It made me think of my presentation yesterday and how now more than ever fashion, technology and science are all coming together to formulate these amazing works.

Ralph Lauren 4D Show

Samuel Barsky, Sweater Artist

2010-11-08T19:20:00.001-08:00

Chanukah (2001)

Sarah Konigsburg, a recent graduate of the MICA Fiber department organized an exhibition of the work of Samuel Barsky, a visionary knitter from Pikesville, a suburb of Baltimore. I had the great fortune to meet the artist at the opening last Thursday. I was deeply touched by his sincerity and enthusiasm and willingness to talk about his work. Photos of his sweaters, and the story of how he got started with knitting, are available on his website: http://colorknit.webs.com/aboutme.htm. The sweaters are more amazing if you see them in person - good thing they are on display for the next month at Shapiro's cafe on Preston Street, right next to the OK Natural food store. I HIGHLY encourage you to visit!

Man on the Moon (2002)

London Bridge II (2002)

CMYK cross stitch!

2010-11-07T20:05:00.001-08:00

Check out the work of Evelin Kasikov, a recent graduate of the MFA program at Central St. Martins in London!

Below: handmade halftone screen (CMYK)

Gill Sans CMYK

325x475 mm

Epson print, hand embroidery

Smooth Cotton 315 gsm (left)

Gill Sans Magenta

325x475 mm

Epson print, hand embroidery

Smooth Cotton 315 gsm (right)

Needle and Thread

2010-11-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Run, Don't Walk to this AMAZING website FOUNTAIN of needlework information! VIDEOS of the van dyke stitch and more!

JF and Son

2010-11-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

This is the company that the Experimental Fashion class visited in New York.

JF & SON’s fanatical obsession with textiles informs the company’s approach to production and design. Working with hand-weavers throughout India, the company develops custom fabrics, which are sent to the vertically integrated JF & SON studio in New Delhi. In this creative environment, JF & SON authors a new design vernacular, combining elements of modernism with traditional methods of beading, embroidery, and printing. By partnering with artists and artisans from New York to India, JF & SON meets its ideals of fairness in labor, while reinforcing its commitment to community and collaboration everywhere.

Here is a link to their website and tumblr.

Visit to School 33/Temporary Nature of Ideas Exhibit

2010-11-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, our class visited School 33 and Melissa Webb's interactive installation/exhibit, The Temporary Nature of Ideas. Melissa met with us and told us a bit about her own background, education and art process, including her humble origins in our very own Fiber department at MICA! Following are a few pictures from our visit.

Encoded Cloth

2010-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

PROJECT 2: THE ENCODED CLOTH

Create a cloth that communicates something essential about you and/or your culture and/or about this particular time in history. You may use any technique you deem suitable for ‘encoding’ your cloth, including, but not limited to: printing, dyeing, sewing, embroidery and/or appliqué techniques.

Consider how the design, construction and embellishment techniques and materials contribute to our ‘reading’ of your work. Consider how your installation or presentation contributes to our understanding as well; ie: how do we interact with it, see it or experience your work? Is it a flag? A coverlet? A mantle? A banner?

Following are examples of 'encoded cloths' drawn from various cultures and traditions, including the works of contemporary artists referencing these traditions.

Ceremonial cloth and sacred heirloom, 17th-18th c., handspun cotton and natural dyes, block printing, mordant painting and batik, Gujarat, India traded to Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Anglican Diocese of Ondo Commemorative Cloth, 2002

Allison Moore, Obama Commemorative Cloth, 2007

Ghanaian Commemorative Cloth, circa 2008

Liz Ensz, War on Secularism (detail) screenprint, 2005

Susie Brandt, Frosty (above) and Honeypot (below) screenprint

Renee Greene, Commemorative Toile, 1992

Virgil Marti, Bullies (Wallpaper), screenprint, 1992-97

Wim Delvoye, Louis Vuitton Pigskin, 2005

FANTE, ASAFO FLAG 12, 40 x 57", Ghana

Asofo = "war people". These appliqued patchwork banners combine the tradition of communication by proverb with military pomp and display. Flags would be created for the installation of a new captain of a local militia company and would be displayed at festivals and funerals. Each unique flag would either depict an historical event, identify the company with an animal or image of power, or depict a proverb to boast, taunt or threaten other companies. The British flag was used until 1957, since then the flag of Ghana is often substituted. The reverse side is appliqued with the same image, usually matching very closely, less so with lettering and parts of no. 14. Note the variety of interpretations of the British flag. ---Dan Mato, Professor Emeritus of Art History, The University of Calgary, Hamill Gallery Website. Photograph © Tim Hamill

Jacket embroidered by Agnes Richter, locked away in a German mental asylum during the 1880s, due to schizophrenia

Darrell Morris, Bellbottoms, embroidery, 2007

Darrell Morris, Fast Food, embroidery, 2007

Louise Bourgeois, She Lost It (Performance Pieces), Embroidery on Clothing, 1992

Susie Brandt, Sew Your Own Stump Flag, 1995

Crochetdermy

2010-10-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys it's Amelia. I found a really cool and interesting conceptual artist named Shauna Richardson who crochets animals to look like taxidermy.

On the subject of her work, Richardson states that "In an attempt to find new ways of exploring the 'Anything can be art' theory, I make work that combines uncomfortable themes such as accessible objects, nostalgia, traditional craft and realism."

If any of you guys are like me and are interested in the application of fiber as a sculptural/ narrative medium, she is a really great artist to check out.

You can find her website here.

Student Exhibit in the Middendorf

2010-10-20T06:28:00.001-07:00

Styling Utility

A student exhibition curated by Jenae A. Smith

October 21 – 31, 2010

Middendorf Gallery, Station Building

Closing Reception: Thursday, October 28, 6 – 8pm

REMINDER: Field Trip

2010-10-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hello People of the Fiber!

Here is your friendly reminder that we will be meeting in front of the Station Building on Wednesday, October 13 at 3:30pm to depart for our journey to School 33 and Melissa Webb's interactive installation "The Temporary Nature of Ideas." Also, please bring your 18x18"stretcher bars (four) for the building of your screen tomorrow night. You can leave this in the classroom (in a designated box) so that you do not need to schlepp it to School 33.

Hasta Manana!

Reflections

2010-10-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone (again),

I just wanted to invite you guys to the closing reception of my show in the Wilgus Gallery on Friday, October 15 from 7-9 pm. The Wilgus Gallery is located in the photo department, in the basement of the main building. If you can't make it to the reception feel free to stop on by and check out my work anytime between October 3-16th.

See you all in class,

Kaley

Osborn Handcrafted

2010-09-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

Hey you guys it's Kaley. I just wanted to share with everyone an awesome shoe company I found the other day! They're practices are really inspiring and I hope you all enjoy and appreciate the artisans' work. Check out their website here and read a little bit about their awesome shoe production below! =) (they also have a pretty cool blog attached to their site you should check out)

Osborn: Know Your Shoe

Officially launched in 2009, Osborn offers the marketplace a unique collection of handmade footwear cultivated with positivity, hope and dedication.

Co-founder Aaron Osborn, whose family runs one of the largest orphanages in Guatemala, stumbled upon the idea for Osborn in 2007 when he met an out-of-work cobbler while doing charitable work in the country. He and co-founder, Carla Venticinque, were searching for a way to combine their artistic backgrounds with their desire to uplift their adopted homeland. This search led to Osborn Shoes. That first cobbler still works with them full time, as do a small driven team of 20 other gifted artisans. Nestled in the volcanic mountains outside Guatemala City, these artisans craft shoes in a time honored old-world manufacturing environment dedicated to integrity and quality.

Osborn’s vertically integrated manufacturing practice sets them apart, establishing a work environment that is sweat-shop free, worker driven and brand focused. Each shoe is signed by its maker, as a testament to the sense of pride for the maker, as well as its wearer.

SHOE PRODUCTION

Osborn owns its own production workshop located in Guatemala. We currently have 25 artisans and 4 administrators employed full-time. We work personally with our production team to ensure high quality handcrafted shoes - entirely fair trade with locally sourced materials.

All the materials for each shoe are individually hand-cut and and each shoe is assembled by hand.

Each and every Osborn shoe represents not only a fashionable statement, but also a step in the right direction in respects to world employment and sourcing standards - we believe it is ever more important to know where your valuables come from.

Always hand cut, always hand crafted.

Insoles waiting to be finished.

This is our happy family. Photo by Carla.

Our mother's on Mother's Day.

Second Skin...

2010-09-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

Following are a few images and links that might be inspiring and hopefully interesting and enlightening:

Oregonia Gracilis (Decorator or Dresser crab) festooned in sea weed. Watch a BBC video about them here.)

Girl in Harajuku area of Tokyo, Japan.

Boy of the Omo Valley, Ethiopia, captured by Hans Silvester.

A caddis fly building its case
A weaverbird nest in Namibia.

Fishing Line (2006) and detail by Tara Donovan

Accumulation of Yo-Yos by MICA grad, Marla Parker.

An experimental coverlet crocheted by Emily Barletta, a MICA fiber alumnus.

Catherine Bertola's Dust Collection, 1999.

The works of Anu Tuominen (above). For more inspiring work, visit her website here.

Above, the works of Kimsooja. For more information, including her Bottari project, visit her website.

Nancy Rubin's Mattresses and Cakes (1993)

El Anatsui's Bleeding, 2007.

Dave Cole's Knitting with Loaded Shotguns, 2008.

Fishing Nets in Maine.

Fashion designer Hiroshige Maki's Rubber Band Dress (1993)

Untitled by the 'outsider/visionary' artist, Judith Scott.

Traditional Shaman's Cloak, Central Asia

Coral Reef

an assortment of Nick Cave's Soundsuits

Bamileke Feathered Costume - Cameroon Mabu and below, a dancer in costume.

Images from the book (un)Fashion by Tibor and Maira Kalman.

Annette Messager's "My Boarders" (1972)

Lucy Orta's Refuge Wear and Habitent. For more information about these projects visit the Studio Orta website.

Kaija Kiuru's "Chamber" 2002, made from lace. "Using dozens of antique circular tablecloths that the artist collected in secondhand shops, she constructed a temporary domestic shelter from the fruits of thousands of hours of work. Kiuru is concerned with the nature of home and women’s lives and the fact that 80 percent of the world refugees are woman and children. The simultaneous fragility and semi transparency of the tent created a stunning resting place." cited on the artandpolitics blog.

Taylor, Bearing (2009)

Knitted superhero costumes by Mark Newport (2006-2010)

One of Lucy & Bart's collaborations described as "described as an instinctual stalking of fashion, architecture, performance and the body." More on their website here.

Dave Cole's Kevlar Baby Onesie, 2008.

Rosalie de Monod de Froideville's Hideaway (2006-2008).

The images of Phyllis Galembo:

Atam Masquerader, in front of cotton silkwood tree, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Sierra Leone

Ano Dance Masquerade, Alok Village, Cross River, Nigeria, 2004

Okpo Masquerade, Calabar South, Nigeria, 2005

High Zero Festival

2010-09-21T21:27:00.001-07:00

This week marks the beginning of the High Zero Festival, the premier festival of Improvised, Experimental music on the East Coast, fully devoted to new collaborations between the most inspired improvisors from around the world.

The festival brings together 28 core musicians each year, but also involves a much larger subculture of musicians in Baltimore and on the East Coast. Unlike many related festivals, High Zero is not narrow in terms of sensibility or subculture, but rather widely inclusive of all the different types of experimental music-making in the moment. The fact that half of the festival's core participants are from Baltimore speaks to the depth of Baltimore's experimental music subculture, which in recent years has grown to be one of the richest cities in the country for experimental art.

Forms in Japan

2010-09-21T09:35:00.001-07:00

As part of our exploration of material construction and manipulation in this class, you will learn about the ideas of Japanese aesthetician Yuichiro Kojiro, who wrote his influential "Forms in Japan" in 1965. The full text of the book can be found here.

"(The) book ... is a study of the basic shapes that dominate Japanese culture. Kojiro presents us with completed forms, like houses, landscapes, ceramic vessels but it is easy enough to translate them into action: forms of continuation are created by expanding, opening and dilating; forms of union by tying, weaving, bracing, matching; forms of collection by gathering, piling, layering, tightening; forms of arrangmenet by pairing, discarding, scattering; and forms of enclosure by wrapping, surrounding, encircling, covering...." from James Roy King's Remaking the World: Modeling in Human Experience.

Bill Morrison Film and Lecture

2010-09-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bill Morrison, artist lecture
Thursday, Sept.30th
Falvey, 6pm

Followed by a screening of 'Decasia' at 7pm

Artist lecture with filmmaker BILL MORRISON.

Bill Morrison’s films and videos have been screened in theaters, museums, and
concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Museum of
Modern Art, Royal Festival Hall, Sundance Film Festival, Tate Modern, and
Walt Disney Concert Hall. Morrison is a Guggenheim fellow and has received
the Alpert Award for the Arts, an NEA Creativity Grant, a Creative Capital
grant, and a fellowship from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. His work
with Ridge Theater has been recognized with two Bessie awards and an Obie
Award.

Morrison's landmark film DECASIA (2002) will be screened following the
lecture.

Paying your Material Fee

2010-09-15T20:14:00.001-07:00

1. Go to MICA Store website: http://store.mica.edu/Home.aspx

2. Click on “Fibers Art Supplies”

3. Find your fiber course/s by class name and or instructor name.

4. Click on your appropriate course or courses and add to your cart.

5. The website will then ask for an email and password, “registration” information.

6. Click “register” if not already registered and make an email and password.

7. Once registered, continue to make payment online with Micard Flex Account or credit card information.

8. The transaction is recorded digitally so there is no need to bring the receipt back to the Fiber Department for a tally.

Weaving

2010-09-15T19:45:00.001-07:00

an illustration of a Coptic loom from an Egyptian tomb painting, Middle Kingdom, circa 1680 BC

We started to explore the ancient art of weaving and making cloth today. We 'built' a loom, warped the loom, and started to build cloth by filling the warp with weft yarn to create cloth.

Ghanain weaver working on Kente cloth.
A Peruvian woman makes double weave belts on a body-tensioned loom.
A Chinese woman weaving with silk.

A Navajo woman making a tapestry weave blanket on an upright loom (left) and a drag loom used by Ghanaian weavers (right) in which the warps are tensioned with a heavy stone on a sledge.

A Peruvian weaver working on a backstrap loom.

In the 20th century, there have been some significant contributors to the art and craft of weaving, artists and designers too many to mention, though a few prominent figures follow:

Anni Albers, Red Meander, 1954. For more information about Anni Albers and her work with the Bauhaus, visit the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation or the exhibition pages of MOMA's Bauhaus show.

Magdalena Abkanowicz working on her Abakans above and sitting with one of her 'Abakans' below. (circa 1969).

Sheila Hicks, Toe Tab, 1973

Two art shows!

2010-09-15T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here is the info for the two exhibitions that I mentioned in class. Hope to see you Saturday at the Creative Alliance!

The Food Network @ Creative Alliance
3134 Eastern Ave
Opening Saturday, September 18 5:30-7:30
On view Sept 18-Oct 31
http://www.creativealliance.org

Advocate Through Art @ Enoch Pratt Central Library
400 Cathedral St
On view September 18-October 29
http://www.prattlibrary.org/calendar/atpratt.aspx?id=56612

Handspun Recycled Newspaper Yarn!

2010-09-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

In looking up cool things for my class sketchbook I came across this super cool article about handspinning recycled newspaper into yarn! I would definitely check it out and give it a try! Thanks to Valeska, we all basically know how to make it already!

-Caitlin :)

Felting

2010-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

A felted saddle found in the frozen Pazyryk tombs in Siberia in 1949. The saddle might be as old as 2500 years.

A traditional Kazakh felt yurt, source: Wikipedia commons.

Turkish shepherd in traditional felt kepenek. source: Textile Museum

Traditional Valenki, or Russian felted boots. source: Wikipedia commons.

For a fascinating look at one traditional felt rug process, watch this film by Peace Industries.

Joseph Beuy's Felt Suit

Acid Dyeing Wool

2010-09-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

In week 2, we will learn about dyeing wool (and other 'protein' fibers) using WashFast Acid Dyes. The recipe and instructions for use can be found on the ProChem website.

Getting your hands on a Drop Spindle.

2010-09-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Some of you asked about options for getting your hands on your own drop spindle. You can certainly order a spindle online, but you may wish to consider the alternative:

making your own!