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 "My gesture as an artist
is tied to the expressive nature of fiber. It is in the saturated stain and
resist of dye to silk thread, the elegant simplicity of the shift of one color
next to another, and the authority of the grid where I find pleasure.
After 25 years at the loom, I recognize the cyclical nature of my work. In
times of contemplation I find myself following the calligraphic line of the
thread and weaving tapestry in eccentric weft. This technique is slow and
requires patience, yet it allows an introspection and energy to emerge. With
eccentric
weft, I use the thread in its soft and malleable form to build the textile
membrane stretching the structure of the warp.
On the other hand, ikat demands attention, it is willful and vigorous. In
tying knot after knot, I must balance my artistic desire and the technique’s
own expressive potential. This is a dynamic conversation.
Ikat carries with it a cross-cultural heritage and tradition, holding the
record of human memory in the ties of each thread. The emotional appeal
of ikat seems
to me to be symbolic of our resistance to change and our willingness
to play. The abstract and contemporary potential for our 21st century eye
is exciting,
and when the lustrous silk threads of ikat are released, they speak with
a voice that never ceases to surprise me."
Polly Barton |
