Woven Paper

Artist Statement

My work draws on both fine art and folkart traditions. I have a deep appreciation for traditional arts of indigenous cultures, as well as the values and lifestyles reflected in these art forms. I am most intrigued by baskets—-beautiful, functional forms created with as much attention to aesthetics as to function. In his book, Interlacing: the Elemental Fabric, Jack Lenor Larsen says, “…many anthropologist believe that humanization developed with and through the basket”. Containers and vessels transformed our ancestors’ lifestyle by allowing them to gather and store and, therefore, form settled communities. I like using the plaiting technique for my baskets because of the dynamic, undulating effects that diagonal lines bring to woven art. It is a technique used by cultures in every part of the world, and is sometimes used by gorillas, orangutans and weaver birds to weave sleeping mats and nest. It is the same technique used for braiding hair.

The paint application in my baskets is contemporary and very personal. It involves creating colors and textures in an intuitive and exploratory manner that inspires and sustains me. It requires brushing, scratching, stamping, resisting, stitching and collaging to produce surfaces that have four to five layers of paint and material, with layers alternatively being revealed and obscured.

By reinterpreting traditional basket forms using contemporary modalities, I feel that my work brings together art and craft. While the baskets reference utilitarian objects and tools, they are essentially nonfunctional. While they are not designed for gathering and storing, they still suggest the possibility of containing and holding.