Weaver, Jim Bassler, in his studio at Penland, Courtesy of Penland School of Crafts, photographer unknown
See more work by Bassler in our virtual exhibition
Style + Substance. Finding new ways to look at an object or a medium – or rethinking the medium completely – can be one of the most rewarding aspects of your personal involvement in craft. Consider some of our most creative fiber artists.
• Billie Ruth Sudduth studied Leonardo Fibonacci, the 13th century mathematician, who discovered common proportions in spirals throughout nature, and applies these perfect proportions to the classic shapes of her baskets.
• Dona Look draws on the native heritage of northern Wisconsin and stitches together finely formed baskets using the forms of classic vases.
• John McQueen, basketmaker, whose oddly shaped, often humorous works, challenge our very idea of what a basket is: Tree bark combines with plastic rivets; poems are written out in the threads that hold the basket together.
• K. Lee Manuel painted leather and suede garments and wove together feather collars that were almost ceremonial in feeling.
• Lenore Tawney explored the concept of negative space in weaving, juxtaposing areas of freeformed weaving with large areas of unwoven warp.
• Claire Zeisler began her weaving career on a small loom – and then discarded the two-dimensional loom completely for large-scale fiber sculptures that incorporated multiple fibers and three-dimensional knotting techniques, challenging how we believed weaving should behave.
• Randall Darwall, perhaps today’s finest American weaver of scarves and clothing, works with his partner and designer, Brian Murphy. He sees himself in a dialogue with materials that is his “struggle to keep up my own end of the conversation with color, fiber, structure, and the constantly chiding voice of function.”
• The quilters of Gees Bend, isolated by topography and political indifference, were forced to recycle the clothing and other textiles they had.
• Nancy Crow brings a modern aesthetic to quilting, combining the formal patterns of traditional quilts with the bold colors and severe piecing of strips.
Michael James, Interference Effect: (Betrayed) Lover’s Knot #2, 2005, Larry Gawel photograph
Leah Danberg, Tortoise and Hare, 2004-05, knotted waxed-linen and cotton, Bernard Wolf photograph
See more work by Danberg in our virtual exhibition
See Gold demonstrate the full twine turn, and discuss the technique.
Gustine Atlas is one of the many talented needlework artists continuing the quilting tradition at Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, producing articles of historic and social significance - Learn more about them HERE
We filmed American Indian Pat Courtney Gold for the MEMORY episode. Purchase the DVDs or view the programs online
See objects from Craft in America: Expanding Traditions, a seven-city traveling exhibition that ran from 2007-2009, and other Virtual Exhibitions
Want to collaborate to make a quilt or mural? Download a lesson plan HERE
Important craft artists are featured in the Book. Learn more
Click to see a list of over 4 hours of video available online
