Tag: Katherine Westphal

Kisetsukan – Pursuing Seasonal Sense in Art

October 15, 2025 0 Comment

The weather’s changing here in Connecticut. Sweaters come out of storage, and sandals and sleeveless shirts are packed away. Light-colored duvets give way to warmer quilts and flannels. Pumpkins appear on porches and shelves, paving the way for twinkling lights in December.

What if we gave our art collections the same seasonal revisit?

The Japanese embrace this idea through a practice called kisetsukan, or “seasonal sense” — an aesthetic and cultural principle deeply rooted in their appreciation of nature and the home. This approach doesn’t just apply to art but extends to festivals, food, clothing, and everyday life. Kisetsukan reflects an awareness of the seasons and their emotional impact — something echoed in many cultures.

Sara Brennan, Gali Cnaani, Mary Merkel-Hess Details
Sara Brennan, Gali Cnaani, Mary Merkel-Hess, Lia Cook: Trees, woods and greenery in varying views.

Substituting artwork throughout the year can shift one’s emotional response and renew our connection with both the art and the environment around us. A single piece viewed in spring might evoke freshness and renewal; that same piece in the depths of winter could feel nostalgic or even melancholy.

One beautiful example is Paul Furneaux’s City Trees II, City Lights II, a memory of a hidden park in Tokyo where luminous white and pale pink cherry blossoms contrasted against dark-barked pines and the brutalist concrete and glass of the surrounding buildings — a moment of heightened beauty and tension. Works like this could be rotated in and out as the days lengthen or shorten, responding to the mood of the season.

Katherine Westphal, Merja Winqvist, Nancy Koenigsberg, Paul Furneaux details
Katherine Westphal (Fall Leaves); Merja Winqvist (Long Hot Summer); Nancy Koenigsberg (Winter Field), Paul Furneaux (City Trees II and City Lights II). Seasons highlighted in disparate media.

The Benefits of Seasonal Rotation

Rotating your artwork seasonally can:

  • Deepen your connection to nature by aligning your interior space with what’s happening outside.
  • Enhance appreciation for individual works by seeing them with fresh eyes each time they return.
  • Spark reflection on the passage of time and the impermanence of beauty — what the Japanese call mono no aware, a bittersweet awareness of life’s fleeting nature.
  • Expand your collection by giving you reason to collect more works and experiment with pairings, contrasts, and themes.

You don’t need to collect four new works for each season to begin. Start small. Instead of grouping similarly sized pieces, try alternating light and dark palettes, or switching black and white for bold color.

Grethe Sorensen diptych
Grethe Sorensen’s Interferens-7 and Blue-Color-Gradation can be hung together or rotated.
Cynthia Schira weavings
Cynthia Schira’s Nightfall and Spring-Lyric can be hung together or rotated.

Some pieces even offer built-in versatility:

Gyöngy Laky's Deviation displayed two ways
Gyöngy Laky’s Deviation installed two ways
  • Gyöngy Laky’s Deviation — OY can be displayed as “OY” for half the year and flipped to read “YO” for the other. Is it an existential “Oh, Why?” or a cheerful “Yo!” greeting? Let the season decide.
Laura Foster Nicholson's Shed displayed two ways
Laura Foster Nicholson’s Shed installed two ways

Laura Foster Nicholson’s work Shed can be hung vertically or horizontally, allowing a shift in visual weight and direction.

Sung Rim Parks sculpture on and off the wall
Sung Rim Park’s Beyond 220723. Displayed on the floor and floating in space.

Sung Rim Park’s Beyond series can be installed on or off the wall, offering new perspectives and levels of engagement.

Tall Lia Cook positive/negative image weaving
Lia Cook’s Big Richard front and back.

Lia Cook’s banners, like Big Richard, are impactful whether viewed from the front or reversed — another way to surprise the eye.

The more flexible the installation options, the more enjoyment you may find in your collection. Changing your art throughout the year brings new energy into a space, reawakens your senses, and reminds you of the beauty in change itself.

50-Year Lookback: Fiberworks, a 70s Creative Hub in Berkeley, California 

December 4, 2024 0 Comment
Fireworks newsletter
Researching Fiberworks at the Archives of American Art in Washington, DC 2024. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Five decades ago, Fiberworks in Berkeley, California, was a vibrant cultural hub that played a significant role in the burgeoning arts scene of the early 1970s. Situated in the heart of one of the nation’s most politically and artistically dynamic cities, Fiberworks became a space where fiber art, design, and social change intersected. 

Gyongy Laky at Fireworks
Gyöngy Laky at Fiberworks, Center for the Textile Arts, 1974 ; Chere Lai Mah, Donna Nomura Dobkin, Gyöngy Laky, Donna Larsen, Nance O’Banion, and others at Fiberworks, 1974, Gyöngy Laky papers, 1912-2007, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution Photos Thomas C. Layton 

Founded in 1973 by Hungarian-born environmental sculptor, Gyöngy Laky, who served as its Director through 1977, Fiberworks was an internationally recognized art center, instrumental in redefining textile arts through the late 80s. The Fiberworks Gallery showcased textile art at a time when commercial galleries and museums gave it scant exposure. In 1975, the name was changed to Fiberworks Center for the Textile Arts, reflecting the increasing range of activities that included lectures, special events, international bazaars, and services for artists, together with a sweeping array of classes. The dynamism of creativity in Berkeley prompted internationally known textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen to refer to the Bay Area as “The Vatican” of this new movement in the arts. 

Mija Riedel, who has researched Fiberworks’ history, notes that the nonprofit organization’s influence during its 15-year existence far exceeded its modest means. By the early 70s, Riedel explains, the San Francisco Bay Area was a rich and established focal point for textile art. Trude Guermonprez, a transplant from Black Mountain College, headed the Crafts department at California College of the Arts in Oakland. Kay Sekimachi, a student of Guermonprez, had gained recognition for her series of complex three-dimensional monofilament hangings. Katherine Westphal was a professor at UC in Davis. Ruth Asawa’s iconic wire sculptures – made with a technique learned from basket weavers in Toluca, Mexico – were the subject of a 1973 retrospective at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Ed Rossbach’s teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, had influenced Laky and other Fiberworks’ artists. His experimental approach inspired a new generation of artists to explore new ways of working with what, up to that time, had been utilitarian materials. Artists explored unconventional uses of fibers like synthetic materials, found objects, and even recycled textiles, challenging the boundaries between art and craft. As Riedel observes, Fiberworks drew on this community of artists and their energy, ingenuity and inventiveness. (Mija Riedel, unpublished research, cited in Gyöngy Laky: Screwing With Order, assembled art, actions and creative practice, 2022, pp. 32.) In our research at the Archives of American Art in DC in May, we were stuck by the long list of artists who taught at Fiberworks including Kay Sekimachi, Adela Akers, Daniel Graffin, and Katherine Westphal. The Center became accredited and eventually offered degree programs.

Magdalena Abakanowicz and Sheila Hicks speaking at Fiberworks
Magdalena Abakanowicz and Sheila Hicks speaking at Fiberworks’ Symposium on Contemporary Textile Art,1978. Photos Elaine Keenan 

Fiberworks’ reputation extended well beyond California and the US, notes Riedel. Some of the world’s most-celebrated fiber artists, including Sheila Hicks, Ritzi and Peter Jacobi, and Magdelena Abakanowicz, participated in Fiberworks’ programs. The Center’s international impact was affirmed when Fiberworks organized and hosted the Symposium on Contemporary Textile Art in 1978 and 500 participants from eight countries participated. The Symposium’s broad attendance, which included Helena Hernmarck, Walter Nottingham, and Nance O’Banion, “[bore] witness to the widespread interest in the new textile art.” (Giselle Eberhard Cotton and Magali Junet, From Tapestry to Fiber Art: Lausanne Biennials 1962-95, (Skira, Milan, Italy, 2017), p. 78.) Recognition and visibility for Fiberworks’ faculty, lecturers, exhibitors, and students also grew. In 1975, both Laky and Lia Cook would be selected to produce large, commissioned works for the federal Art-in-Architecture Program. (Riedel, pp. 33-34.)

“Fiberworks had a major impact on me, my art, and my life, and I think maybe on the teacher I am today,” Laky told interviewer Harriet Nathan in 1998(Gyöngy Laky: Fiber Art: Visual Thinking and the Intelligent Hand, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California, 2003. An oral history conducted by Harriet Nathan, University of California. Interviews conducted in 1998–1999 (Bancroft Library Oral History), pp. 116-117). “There was a lot of exchange and learning. One of the things that I got from that experience, that early experience, was to give openly, not to secretly guard my ideas. People did not secretly guard their ideas, they didn t think, ‘Oh, this is my special way of working, I m not going to show it to anyone.’ The moment somebody came up with something that was working and exciting, that artist could hardly wait to do a class or demonstration to show everyone: ‘Here I just invented something, come look, let me teach you, let me show you.’ Wonderful spirit in that regard …. The moment people figured out some strange way of braiding or a different way of presenting a performance, whatever it was, it was given and out. The feeling was that there were so many ideas following behind that you didn’t have to guard your precious inventions or discoveries, that good ideas, creative ideas were limitless and there would be many more to come.”

Episodes in Textile Thinking
Episodes in Textile Thinking, 1983. Installation in Fiberworks Gallery, Berkeley, CA. Photo from: Gyöngy Laky: Fiber Art: Visual Thinking and the Intelligent Hand, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California, 2003

The experimentation Rossbach encouraged in his classes at UC Berkeley evolved at the Center, into a wide-ranging exploration of site-specific, installation, performative, and non-traditional approaches, according to Riedel. Chere Lai Mah, a key member of Fiberworks’ nucleus, characterized that spirit of inventiveness as it had influenced her artwork in a statement for the exhibition, FIBERWORKS 1976, as “spontaneity, flexibility, spaces, change, impermanence, simplicity, actions, shadows, lines, throwaways, and the relationship of ideas and forms to their beginnings, becomings and endings.”(FIBERWORKS 1976 exhibition at the Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco, California, coordinated by Louise Allrich.) In reviewing the FIBERWORKS 1976 exhibition, critic Alan Meisel noted, “The explosive newness of the works… sparkles….” (Alan Meisel, “Bay Area Fiber Art,” Artweek, October 9, 1976.)

In 2023, to celebrate Fiberworks’ illustrious 50-year anniversary, a group of former students and staff, including Julie Anixter, Gyongy Laky, Lia Cook, Donna Larsen, Janet Boguch, Chere Lai Mah, Susan Wick, Pat Hickman, and Debra Rapoport intiated a series of commemorative activities. There is a Wikipedia page, a Berkeley Historical site, records in the Archives of American Art. There have also been virtual presentations discussing Fiberworks and its influence, and the influence of Katherine Westphal and Ed Rossbach. The presentation about Ed Rossbach can be viewed online. It includes Tom Grotta’s images and commentary about Rossbach’s long association with browngrotta arts. More of the presentations will be made available online at a later date.

Enjoy!

Ways of Seeing: On Assembling

September 25, 2024 0 Comment

Ways of Seeing, our Fall art event, is mid-exhibition today. It’s a celebration of collecting and the myriad ways that people acquire and arrange art. We’ve put together some groupings within the show and thought of others. We’ll share some of them below for those of you who can’t attend in person. For example, collecting by material, even one as ubiquitous as paper, can result in a varied collection. We put together a wall of works on paper: a print using xerography by Katherine Westphal, a painting on paper by Claude Vermette, collages by Norma Minkowitz and Hideho Tanaka, an intricately folded paper work by Dail Behennah, a composition of twisted commercial paper by Wendy Wahl, and an assemblage of colored sandpaper by Marian Bijlenga.

Gallery Wall of paper works
left to right, top to bottom:
Katherine Westphal, 10w Amphora and Fern, 1993; Wendy Wahl, 2ww 7 by 7 and 22, 1999; Marian Bijlenga, 37mb Luitzen, 2019; Hideho Tanaka, 31ht Emerging 008, 2016; Norma Minkowitz, 114nm The Seeker, 2014; Claude Vermette, 126c Untitled, 1980; Dail Behennah, 56db Two Golds, 2019; Toshio Sekiji, 26ts Lacquered and Torn, 1998. Photo by Tom Grotta

A more unusual material choice — assembling items made of materials from the sea, will also result in a wildly diverse group of works. We’re showing baskets of seaweed, wall work of fish skin and fish scales, and works that incorporate sea sand and sea stones. 

Artwork with sea materials
12jle Bivalve, Jeannet Leendertse, 2023; 5ab Threading Fish, Annette Bellamy, 2023; 40mb Scale Flowers, Marian Bijlenga, 2019; 32kn Sazanami(Ripples), Keiji Nio , 2022; 35sl Coast, East Riding of Yorkshire 1-3, Sue Lawty, 2024. Photos by Tom Grotta

Collecting by artist can yield a broad mix of results. Choosing a category, like Polish, LQBTQ+ or self-taught artists, can result in considerable variation. Even a single artist, if it is one who experiments relentlessly like Jiro Yonezawa, can ground a surprising collection.

Bamboo works by Jiro Yonezawa
Jiro Yonezawa 109jy Yellow Lady Bug, 2021; 95jy Ecdysis , 2019; 64jy Ascension, 2006 92jy Orbit, 2019. Phots by Tom Grotta

There are four very different works by this artist in Ways of Seeing, and they don’t even include the wide bamboo spheres which he has created more recently. 

Works by Hisako Sekijima
Hisako Sekijima
650hs Suspended Decision, 2021; 620hs From 2 to 3 Dimensions V; 643-655hs A Line of Willow, 2020; 639-651hs Bound to Continue VII; 625hs Structural Discussion VI, 2016

Basketmaker Hisako Sekijima, who has worked in everything from cherry bark to kudzu is another example of someone who can be collected in multiples. Lia Cook is another — her practice has moved in several different and exciting ways through out her career.

Works by Lia Cook
Lia Cook 55lc Between Clouds , 1978; 4lc Crazy Quilt: Royal Remnants, 1988; 16lc Presence/Absence: Gather, 1998; 28lc Su Brain Tracts Renew, 2014. Photos by Tom Grotta

Then there are them groupings — we are showing art related to water, but even a color, like Picasso’s blue period, can be an energizing organizing principle. We’ve gathered weavings and objects that meet that criteria: 

Blue Textiles
12lt Cross, Laura Thomas, 2023; 25gs Blue Color Gradation, Grethe Sørensen, 2005; 14jle Blue Levels, Jeannet Leenderste, 2019. Photos by Tom Grotta

There are a few days to see our compilations in person. Or you can order the catalog: https://store.browngrotta.com/c-54-ways-of-seeing/

Happy Hunting!

Ways of Seeing: how individuals envision and curate their art collections

Through September 29, 2024
browngrotta arts
276 Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897
https://browngrotta.com/exhibitions

Gallery Dates/Hours:
Monday, September 23rd through Saturday, September 28th: 10am to 5pm (40 visitors/ hour) Sunday, September 29th: 11am to 6pm [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)

Safety protocols: 
Reservations strongly encouraged; No narrow heels please (barn floors)

Pieces and Parts – Patchwork and Appliqué

August 8, 2024 0 Comment
Kay Sekimachi
5k Lava (Patched Pot), Kay Sekimachi, handwoven and laminated warp-dyed linen on 12 layers of japanese paper, 11” x 14” x 14”, 1991. Photo by Tom Grotta

We are on vacation and Maine and rather than post a “Gone Fishing” sign this week (only one of us fishes anyway) we decided to explore some pieced, patchworked, and appliquéd works made by artists who have worked with browngrotta arts. They include this striking patched pot by Kay Sekimachi and Resound, a large appliqué by Ase Ljones. Work by both artists will be featured in browngrotta arts’ fall exhibition, Ways of Seeing (September 20 – 29, 2024).

Åse Ljones
Detail: 4al Resound, Åse Ljones, rubber, silk, thread, 72” x 43.75″, 2001. Photo by Tom Grotta

Patchwork and appliqué have been integral to textile arts for centuries. Originating from the need to reuse and repurpose worn-out fabrics, patchwork involved stitching together various fabric pieces to create a larger, functional piece, often a quilt. Appliqué, on the other hand, involves sewing smaller pieces of fabric onto a larger base fabric to create decorative designs. Both techniques have roots in diverse cultures, from the elaborate quilts of 19th-century America to the intricate Indian patchwork and Japanese boro textiles.

Katherine Westphal
36w Untitled, Katherine Westphal, paper and linen, 32″ x 47″, 1983. Photo by Tom Grotta
Katherine Westphal
Detail: 1w October: A Walk with Monet, Katherine Westphal, paper, dyed, heat transfer photo copy, patched, 60″(h) x 51″, 1992. Photo by Tom Grotta

The techniques have continued relevance. They are used in mixed media works and in upcycling recycled fabrics, leather, and plastic, reflecting a broader cultural shift towards sustainability. Contemporary patchwork and appliqué often intersect with other art forms, including modern art, graphic design, and even digital art. This cross-disciplinary approach results in innovative works that challenge traditional boundaries and invite viewers to see these techniques in a new light. Noted surface designer Katherine Westphal, created a kimono by combining Japanese subway tickets and fabric. In another, October: A Walk with Monet, she patched together images she created using paper and heat transfer. Westphal is one of the artists in the upcoming exhibition Impact: 20 Women Artists to Collect (September 21-29, 2024), one part of Ways of Seeing.

Neha Puri Dhir
6npd Farmers Jacket, Neha Puri Dhir, cotton, reversible, Japanese 18th century woodcutter’s vest inspired, stitch-resist dyeing, discharge dyeing, patchwork, overdyeing, Sashiko on the collar, 2015. Photo by Tom Grotta
Anette Bellamy
Detail: 3ab Food Chain, Annette Bellamy, halibut, sablefish, salmon (including smoked salmon skins) 36″ x 21.5″, 2017. Photo by Tom Grotta

Contemporary artists use patchwork and appliqué as a medium for personal storytelling. Annette Bellamy is a commercial fisherwoman in Alaska part of the year, a part of her life that is reflected in works like Food Chain, made of pieced fishskins from a variety of fish. Neha Puri Dhir’s Farmer’s Jacket reflects a interest in upcycling and Japanese stitching techniques.

Mia Olsson
Detail: 9mo Map of Warm Area, Mia Olsson, sisal, 24.75″x 19.75″, 2012. Photo by Tom Grotta

Patchwork and appliqué techniques are powerful tools for expressing individuality. In Aphelion, the late Lena McGrath Welker merged drawings and monotypes of Ptolomy’s diagrams, constellations, plus legible and illegible writing, and blackened copper prayer tabs in a statement about the universe and our role in it. The techniques may also be used to address contemporary issues, pieced works and intricate quilts that make social and political statements. Mia Olsson’s Map of a Warm Place, for example, uses pieces of sisal to make an environmental statement.

Lena Welker
Detail: 10lw Aphelion I, Lena Welker, Arches paper (white), Rives BFK, Cave flax, Twinrocker cotton, all hand-dyed indigo; shikibu gampi folios, silk thread, ink, handwoven and hand dyed indigo lace fragment (from The Labyrinth/Toward Illumination installation). Books have Hosho paper folios all drawn in, longstitch binding, and are tied shut with tow linen and blackened bronze prayer tabs. Mei-mei Berssenbrugge’s poem fragments are all stitched to the woven lace. You have a document with all the other citations. Silk paper scrolls stitched with silk thread. 79” x 34.75” x 6.5”, 2OO8.. Photo by Tom Grotta

For more contemporary patchwork and appliqué, checkout contemporary boro: https://upcyclestitches.com/contemporary-boro/, Yoshiko Jinzenji, and Natalie Chanin.

Art Out and About

March 20, 2024 0 Comment

This Spring in Connecticut brings an abundance of daffodils and in the US and abroad a slew of art exhibitions. From Scotland to San Francisco to Seoul, we’ve rounded up some suggestions for you:

Jane Balsgaard
April 6 – May 5, 2024
Vejle Kunstforening
Søndermarksvaj 1
Vejle, Denmark 7100 
https://www.vejlekunstforeningmoellen.dk/

Jane Balsgaard paper and glass boat
Glass and handmade paper Boat by Jane Balsgaard. Photo by Jane Balsgaard

This exhibition of Jane Balsgaard’s art work of glass twigs and plant paper will open in Velje, Denmark this April.

Four Stories of Swedish Textile: Inger Bergstöm, Jin Sook So, Katka Beckham Ojala, Takao Momijama
March 20 – April 2, 2024
Suaenyo 339,
339 Pyeongchang-gil, Jongno-gu
Seoul, Korea 
http://sueno339.com/?ckattempt=1

Jin Sook Blue Wall painting
Blue and Gold electroplated wall textile by Jin-Sook So. Photo by Jin-Sook So

This is an exhibition of four very different art practices, including work in stainless steel mesh by Jin-Sook So. “Using textiles as an artistic medium opens up a world of possibilities, interpretations and expectations,” write the exhibition’s curators. “How the individual artist works in this realm is unpredictable and can lead to totally different genres and contexts. The exhibition, 4T – Four Swedish Stories of Textile, shows the works of a group of artists who despite their different expressions are united by an interest specifically for textile surfaces.”

Andy Warhol: The Textiles
Through May 18, 2024
Dovecot Studios
10 Infirmary Street
Edinburgh, SCOTLAND EH1 1LT
https://dovecotstudios.com/whats-on/andy-warhol-the-textiles

Andy Warhol Textiles
Andy Warhol Artworks © 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Licensed by DACS, London.

Andy Warhol: The Textiles takes viewers on a journey through the unknown and unrecorded world of designs by the influential artist before his Silver Factory days. As the originators explain, by showcasing over 35 of Warhol’s textile patterns from the period, depicting an array of colorful objects; ice cream sundaes, delicious toffee apples, colorful buttons, cut lemons, pretzels, and jumping clowns, this exhibition demonstrates how textile and fashion design was a crucial stage in Warhol becoming one of the most iconic artists of the 20th century. A book accompanies the exhibition: Warhol: The Textiles.

Irresistible: The Global Patterns of Ikat
Through June 1, 2024
George Washington University and Textile Museum
701 21st St. NW
Washington, DC 20052 
museuminfo@gwu.edu

Irresistible Americas installation
Irresistible Americas photo by Kacey Chapman

Prized worldwide for producing vivid patterns and colors, the ancient resist-dyeing technique of ikat developed independently in communities across Asia, Africa and the Americas, where it continues to inspire artists and designers today. This exhibition explores the global phenomenon of ikat textiles through more than 70 masterful examples — ancient and contemporary — from countries as diverse as Japan, Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, Côte d’Ivoire and Guatemala. Included are works by Polly Barton, Isabel Toledo, and Ed Rossbach.

Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art
Through June 16, 2024
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/weaving-abstraction-in-ancient-and-modern-art

Lenore Tawney in the Center of MET exhibit
Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by Hyla Skopitz

The process of creating textiles has long been a springboard for artistic invention. In Weaving Abstraction in Ancient and Modern Art, two extraordinary bodies of work separated by at least 500 years are brought together to explore the striking connections between artists of the ancient Andes and those of the 20th century. The exhibition displays textiles by four distinguished modern practitioners—Anni Albers, Sheila Hicks, Lenore Tawney, and Olga de Amaral—alongside pieces by Andean artists from the first millennium BCE to the 16th century.

On and Off the Loom: Kay Sekimachi and 20th Century Fiber Art
Lecture and Video with Melissa Leventon and Ellin Klor
April 20. 2024
1 p.m. EDT
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
https://www.textileartscouncil.org/post/on-and-off-the-loom-kay-sekimachi-and-20th-century-fiber-art

Kay Sekimachi Kiri Wood Paper Vessel
Kiri Wood Paper Vessel by Kay Sekimachi. Photo by Tom Grotta

Kay Sekimachi is esteemed as an innovator in contemporary fiber art. Her vision has had an impact on many outstanding artists. Sekimachi came of age at a boom time for fiber art, when many artists were experimenting with dimensional weaving both on and off the loom and were challenging old art world hierarchies in the process. In this talk in person and on Zoom, Melissa Leventon will discuss Sekimachi’s oeuvre within the wider context of fiber art in the 20th century.

Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction
Through July 28, 2024
National Art Gallery
East Building, Concourse Galleries
4th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 
https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2024/woven-histories-textiles-modern-abstraction.html

Ed Rossbach Weaving and basket
Ed Rossbach, Damask Waterfall, 1977, LongHouse Reserve, © Ed Rossbach, photo © Charles Benton, courtesy The Artist’s Institute. Ed Rossbach, Lettuce Basket, 1982, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Dr. Milton and Martha Dalitzky (M.2021.163.1), © Ed Rossbach, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA.

This transformative exhibition has moved from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to the National Gallery in DC. It explores how abstract art and woven textiles have intertwined over the past hundred years.This transformative exhibition explores how abstract art and woven textiles have intertwined over the past hundred years. In the 20th century, textiles have often been considered lesser—as applied art, women’s work, or domestic craft. Woven Histories challenges the hierarchies that often separate textiles from fine arts. Putting into dialogue some 160 works by more than 50 creators from across generations and continents, including Katherine Westphal, Dorothy Gill Barnes, and Ed Rossbach, this exhibition explores the contributions of weaving and related techniques to abstraction, modernism’s preeminent art form.  The book that accompanies the exhibition, Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction, can be found on our website.

Art and Design Trends: 2024

February 8, 2024 0 Comment

Still firmly in the start of the year, New Year’s resolutions not abandoned yet, it’s an ideal time to explore the design trends that will define the aesthetic landscape of 2024. From color palettes to furniture styles, this year’s design pundits predict an array of options for transforming your living spaces into stylish and on-trend havens. Art can be an essential part of that transformation. Here are some of the 2024 insights we’ve compiled:

Color: the eternal appeal of blue
“One trend in particular is emerging as clear as the sky is blue,” says The Spruce, an interior design blog(“The 2024 Colors of the Year Point to One Trend You Need to Know,” Megan McCarty, November 7, 2023). Each fall, paint brands unveil their colors of the year, and for 2024, many of them declared shades of blue as the color to consider, including Skipping Stones by Dunn-Edwards, Blue Nova 825 by Benjamin Moore, Renew Blue by Valspar, Thermal by C@ Paints, Bay Blue by Minwax, and Bluebird by Krylon. Blue, as any of you who followed our 2018 exhibition Blue/Green: color, code, context know,  is elemental…sky and sea, infinite in hue, tone, intensity and variation…indigo, azure, sapphire, ultramarine. As metaphor, it connotes integrity, tranquilty.  It’s no wonder that it never really falls out of favor. The designers interviewed by The Spruce gave a number of reasons for including the color in one’s space. It’s calming and relaxing, subtle and subdued, and has a connection to nature. The Spruce quotes Chelse Thowe, the lead designer of Forge & Bow, sees a common thread in the paint brands’ colors of the year:  each is reminiscent of clear skies and calm waters. “Blue is trending because it connects us with nature and feels rejuvenating,” Thowe says. “It brings a sense of stillness and creates a sanctuary from our busy lives.” 

Micheline Beauchemin tapestry
1mb Totem aux Millefleurs Bleues, Micheline Beauchemin, wool, 84″ x 42″, 1980

Many artists who work with browngrotta arts use indigo and other shades of blue to evince natural themes.  In Totem aux Millefleurs Bleues, Micheline Beauchemin chose blue, turquoise and green to create a calm atmosphere of forest and leaves. “…[T]he color, though dark,” she said, “will be brilliant and beautiful.” Still others, choose it for its metaphorical power.

Rachel Max basket
8rm Continuum, Rachel Max, dyed cane, plaited and twined, 15.5″x 17″ x 17″, 2018

Rachel Max’s work, Continuum, explores the artist’s ambivalence about blue. “It is cold yet often warm and comforting. It is a color of depth and distance, of darkness and light and dawn and dusk.” Blue is linked closely to the sea and sky, and Max says, like our lives, she says, they seem infinite yet each has a beginning and an end. Continuum is like a Mobius strip, illustrating the contrasts and opposites, the finite and infinite.

Biophilic Design/Return to Nature
Interior designers predict that homeowners will seek to create calming and harmonious environments in the coming year. Biophilic design, with its emphasis on incorporating natural elements into interiors, will continue to flourish, bringing the outdoors inside through the use of plants, natural materials, and organic textures, says ZDS, (“Exploring the biggest interior design trends 2024“). This trend is one also predicted to have a parallel in the art world. Artsy interviewed 15 curators on defining art themes for 2024 (“15 Leading Curators Predict the Defining Art Trends of 2024,” Artsy, Maxwell Rabb, January 12, 2024), including Amy Smith-Stewart, Chief Curator, at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut. Materials and methods carry meaning, Smith-Stewart told Artsy, “I predict we will see more artists incorporating organic materials or materials collected, grown, and harvested from the natural world into their work,” she said. Artists will seek to comment and address legacies of colonization, she predicts, as well as on issues of environmental justice and land use.

James Bassler weaving
16jb Things Past, James Bassler, single ply agave, 38.5” x 38.5” x 3.5”, 2021

At browngrotta, James Bassler’s use of agave in Things Past is part of a project to use the plant waste created by the making of tequila. Bassler’s friend, the artist Trine Ellitsgaard, organized an exhibition of works made from agave. She has worked with artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico to create fibers and spun thread from agave waste to spin into rugs and bags and art. 

Ane Henriksen tapestry
30ah Reserve, Ane Henriksen, linen, silk, acrylic painted rubber matting, oak frame, 93.75” x 127.625” x 2.5”, 201

In Reserve, Ane Henriksen used material covered with oil spots, found washed up on the west coast of Denmark. Fishermen use the material on the tables in the galley, so the plates don’t slide off when on the high seas. The work highlights ecological peril. “Nature is threatened,” Henriksen says. “I hope this is expressed in my image, which at first glance can be seen as a peaceful, recognizable view of nature, but when you move closer and see the material, it might make you uneasy, and stir thoughts of how human activity is a threat against nature.” John McQueen has created provocative sculptures from twigs, branches and bark for many years. More recently, he has begun to add recycled plastics to highlight humans’ tenuous connection to nature. He illustrates this conflicted relationship in Arm & Hammer with a man stepping precariously on a snake made from recycled plastic bottles of detergent.

John McQueen sculpture
79jm Arm & Hammer, John McQueen, twigs, twine, plastic from, Arm & Hammer detergient bottles, 56” x 31” x 30”, 2006

Celebrating the 70s and Icons
Each year, 1stDibs, the e-commerce interior design and fine art marketplace, aims to quantify subtle shifts in designers’ taste with its Designer Survey (“The 1stDibs Guide to 2024 Interior Design Trends,” Introspective, Cara Greenberg, December 19, 2023). This year’s survey drew responses from more than 600 industry professionals. The results report what excites designers at this point in time, “what they’ve had quite enough of and what they anticipate sourcing to conjure sublime living spaces in the months to come.” 1st Dibs reports a fresh enthusiasm for the 1970s, which 27 percent of designers in the US and 29 percent in the UK cited as the era they’ll draw upon for inspiration in 2024. “[E]expect to see an updated version of 1970: “a curated, earth-toned Laurel Canyon look, if you will — organic, relaxed, and comforting.” The survey also found that iconic design has lasting power. “Iconic designs are revered for a reason. Their forms are so pure, their function so unimpeachable that their lasting popularity should come as no surprise.”

Glen Kaufman tapestry
188gk Abbot’s Mantle, Glen Kaufman, wool, 74″ x 36″ x 1.5″, 1971

We find the same purity in works from the 1970s by the icons of art textiles. Abbot’s Mantle made in 1971 by Glen Kaufman, reflects the experience in rug making and design that he gained at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, during a Fulbright in Scandinavia, and while working at Dorothy Liebes’ New York Design Studio. 

Katherine Westphal quilt
47w The puzzle of Floating World #2, Katherine Westphal, transfer print and quilting on cotton, 85″ x 68″, 1976

Puzzle of the Floating World (1976), by Katherine Westphal, who authored The Surface Designer’s Art: Contemporary, Fabric, Printers, Painters and Dyers (Lark Books,1993, Asheville, NC) contemporizes quilting. 

Sherri Smith weaving
1ss/r Linde Star, Sherri Smith, plaiting, discharge; cotton webbing, 36″ x 33.75″, 1976

Sherri Smith’s Linde Star is an imaginative stitched-and-plaited work, that was included in the seminal 1970s book, Beyond Weaving: the art fabric. Ritzi Jacobi, who was also featured in Beyond Weaving, 

Ritzi and Peter Jacobi goat hair tapestry
10rj Exotica Series, Ritzi and Peter Jacobi, cotton, goat hair and sisal, 114″ x 60″ x 6″, 1975

was known her heavily textured works, like Exotica Series  made with Peter Jacobi in 1975, in which the couple used unusual materials such as sisal, coconut fibers, and goat hair. 

Ed Rossbach Peruvian tapestry
78r Peruvian Tapestry, Ed Rossbach, printed weft, 20″ x 21″, 1972

 In Peruvian Tapestry (1972), Ed Rossbach, an influential artist, author, and teacher, continued his experiments re-envisioning traditional techniques. Peter Collingwood, knighted by the Queen of England, developed a practice that he called shaft switching to create complex and elegant works.

Peter Collingwood textile
5pco Microgauze 84, Peter Collingwood, warp: Black and natural linen; Weft: natural linen, 72″ x 8.375″ x .125″, 1970

Conclusion:
The design and art trends of 2024 suggest ways to create spaces that are not only visually appealing but also deeply reflective of your personality and lifestyle. We are happy to help you source works from browngrotta arts to enable that process.

Art Assembled – New This Week in November

November 29, 2023 0 Comment

As November comes to a close, we take a moment to reflect on the remarkable artists and their works that have taken center stage in our New This Week series throughout the month. Naomi Kobayashi, Karyl Sisson, Katherine Westphal, and Laura Foster Nicholson have each shared their unique creative journeys, leaving a lasting impression on our vibrant community.

As we turn the page on November, our online doors remain open for exploration. You can continue to discover the captivating work from Vignettes on our website, where the artistry of Dorothy Gill Barnes, Glen Kaufman, and more continues to shine. Additionally, our exhibition Abundance of Objects graces Artsy, showcasing an impressive array of baskets, ceramics, and sculptures from over three dozen accomplished artists.

Now, we invite you to revisit the highlights of our New This Week features throughout the last month. Read on for more!

Naomi Kobayashi
66nko Cubic Harmony III, Naomi Kobayashi, koyori thread, washi paper, 5″ x 5″ x 5″, 1995. Photos by Tom Grotta.

Our month began with a spotlight on Naomi Kobayashi, an exceptional textile artist and sculptor whose contributions to contemporary art are both profound and enduring.

Kobayashi’s artistic journey is a tale of dedication and innovation. She began her career by crafting highly constructed, sculptural works of thread, showcasing her mastery of textile artistry. However, her creative path led her to explore new avenues, particularly constructions, often using paper as her medium. These creations exude an airy, ephemeral quality that sets them apart, inviting viewers to engage with her art in unique and profound ways.

And yes, before you even ask, her artwork is included in Abundance of Objects as a part of the Vignettes exhibition on Artsy from now until December 13!

Karyl Sisson
104ks Blue Hole, Karyl Sisson, vintage paper straw wrappers, thread, polymer, 4″ x 5″ x 5″, 2023

Up next in November, we focused on the talented Karyl Sisson, a visionary artist located in Los Angeles. Sisson’s artistic path is a testament to her ability to weave together the threads of everyday life, both past and present, to craft sculptural and textured forms that transcend traditional boundaries. Her work is an exploration of patterns, repetition, and structure, woven together through her foundation in basketry and needlework.

One can’t help but be captivated by Sisson’s ability to confront domesticity and challenge traditional gender roles through her innovative use of materials. Her recent work with paper straws, for example, draws inspiration from the intricate world of cells and organisms, resulting in creations that seem to grow naturally and organically.

Sisson is yet another artist featured in An Abundance of Objects as part of our Vignettes series online on Artsy.

Katherine Westphal
38w Geisha, Katherine Westphal, paper, dyed, heat-transfer photo copy, patched101” x 64” x 4”, 1985

Moving further into November, we highlighted the captivating works of Katherine Westphal, a visionary artist with a profound knack for exploring surface, pattern, and decoration. Westphal’s creative journey was a continuous exploration of her medium, whether it was textiles, quilts, clothing, or baskets.

What truly set Westphal apart was her fearless embrace of fractured and surprising images, which became a signature element of her work. Her collages were vibrant, combining bold imagery with bright colors, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the visual tapestries she composed.

Drawing from her background in painting, Westphal’s process was one of building up and breaking down, allowing her textiles to evolve in an organic and unpredictable manner. Each piece was a fusion of cutting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, tapestry, and fringes, guided by her intuitive and visual senses until she felt the message was complete.

Notably, Westphal was an early pioneer in incorporating color photocopies into her work, showcasing her innovative spirit. Her legacy is celebrated in our ongoing Vignettes exhibition, where her art continues to inspire and tell its unique story.

Laura Foster Nicholson
24lf The Maze, Laura Foster Nicholson wool, rayon with cotton brocade 35.5” x 32.25” x 2.375”, 1982

Wrapping up our artistic journey through November, we cast our spotlight on Laura Foster Nicholson, a renowned textile artist celebrated for her exquisite handwoven tapestries.

Nicholson’s art speaks to the intersection of art and craft, where each thread is carefully chosen, and every image is intentional. Her dedication to her practice is evident in her extensive lecture and teaching experience, sharing her knowledge and passion with others who are drawn to the world of textile art.

Throughout her career, Nicholson’s distinctive style has left an indelible mark on the art world, captivating audiences with her ability to transform threads into captivating narratives. Her works are not just tapestries; they are vibrant stories woven with the threads of creativity and imagination.

As November comes to an end, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated community of art enthusiasts and supporters. Your unwavering encouragement fuels our passion for bringing the world of contemporary art to life. With the holiday season just around the corner, we are excited to continue sharing the beauty and creativity of our featured artists with you.

Don’t forget, our online viewing room for An Abundance of Objects on Artsy remains open for exploration until December 13. Thank you for being a part of the browngrotta arts community, and we can’t wait to see what December has in store!

Art Out and About: Exhibitions Here and Abroad

October 25, 2023 0 Comment

It’s a fall full of cultural attractions — across the US and abroad. Hope you can take in one or two!

Tamiko Kawata’s Self Portrait, 1996 and Vertical Wave, 1986

Tamiko Kawata: Beyond Edge, Beyond Surface
November 1- 28, 2023
Opening Reception November 1 6-8 p.m.
Pollock Gallery
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, Texas 
https://calendar.smu.edu/site/meadows/event/tamiko-kawata-beyond-edge-beyond-surface–opening-reception/

The artist will create an onsite installation on October 29 – 30th

Weaving at Black Mountain College:
Anni Albers,Trude Guermonprez, and Their Students
through January 6, 2023
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
Asheville, NC
https://www.blackmountaincollege.org/weaving/

Weaving at Black Mountain College Installation. photo by BMCM+AC staff featuring The Weaver, painted on the weaving studio door by Faith Murray Britton in 1942.

Weaving at Black Mountain College: Anni Albers,Trude Guermonprez, and Their Students will be the first exhibition devoted to textile practices at Black Mountain College (BMC). Celebrating 90 years since the college’s founding, the exhibition will reveal how weaving was a more significant part of BMC’s legendary art and design curriculum than previously assumed.

BMC’s weaving program was started in 1934 by Anni Albers and lasted until the College closed in 1956. About 10% of all Black Mountain College students took at least one class in weaving. Despite Albers’s elevated reputation, the persistent treatment of textile practices as women’s work or handicraft has often led to the discipline being ignored or underrepresented in previous scholarship and exhibitions about the College; this exhibition brings that work into the spotlight at last. The exhibition will also feature work by selected contemporary artists whose work connects to the legacies of the BMC weavers: Kay Sekimachi, Jen Bervin, Porfirio Gutiérrez, Susie Taylor, and Bana Haffar. They’ve produced a catalog for the exhibition, too, that will be available October 31st. 

Folding Silences
through November 9, 2023
D21 Art Projects
Paeo Las Palmas
Providencia, Chile
https://www.d21virtual.cl/2023/09/20/comunicado-plegando-silencios-de-carolina-yrarrazaval/

Installation shot, Folding Silences exhibition. Photo by Jorge Brantmayer.

Through November 9th, the exhibition Plegando Silencios by international artist Carolina Yrarrázaval can be visited at gallery D21. The exhibition consists of a series of 12 tapestries that the artist has worked on in recent years experimenting with materials of plant origin, mainly with coconut fiber, which is intervened to obtain suggestive reliefs, textures, and transparencies that demand a new look at the artist’s work. The creative act of dyeing, folding, and incorporating raw material is transformed into the initial structure of a textile work that s, the gallery says, “seduces and incites the search for new sensations.”

Woven Histories: textiles and modern abstraction
through January 21, 2024
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, CA
https://www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/woven-histories-textiles-and-modern-abstraction

Ed Rossbach, Damask Waterfall, 1977, LongHouse Reserve, © Ed Rossbach, photo © Charles Benton, courtesy The Artist’s Institute. Ed Rossbach, Lettuce Basket, 1982, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Dr. Milton and Martha Dalitzky (M.2021.163.1), © Ed Rossbach, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA.

Woven Histories sheds light on a robust, if over-looked, strand in art history’s modernist narratives by tracing how, when, and why abstract art intersected with woven textiles (and such pre-loom technologies as basketry, knotting, and netting) over the past century. Included are 150 works by an international and transhistorical roster of artists that includes Ed Rossbach, Katherine Westphal, Anni Albers, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Kay Sekimachi, Lenore Tawney, and Sheila Hicks. The exhibition reveals how shifting relations among abstract art, fashion, design, and craft shaped recurrent aesthetic, cultural, and socio-political forces, as they, in turn, were impacted by modernist art forms. It is accompanied by a book of essays and images, that can be purchased at browngrotta.com.

Takaezu & Tawney: An Artist is a Poet
through March 25, 2024
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Bentonville, AK
https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/toshiko-takaezu-lenore-tawney/

Portrait of Lenore Tawney and Toshiko Takaezu at browngrotta arts’ exhibition Lenore Tawney: celebrating five decades of work, 2000. Photo by Tom Grotta

Takaezu & Tawney: An Artist is a Poet debuts 12 new acquisitions to the Crystal Bridges collection that tell the story of a remarkable friendship between Toshiko Takaezu and Lenore Tawney. Curated by Windgate Curator of Craft Jen Padgett, the exhibition highlights how these two women shaped craft history in the US by expanding and redefining the possibilities of their preferred mediums: Takaezu in ceramics, Tawney in weaving. Takaezu and Tawney had a close relationship for decades, from 1957 until Tawney’s death in 2007. From 1977 to 1981, Tawney lived at Takaezu’s Quakertown, New Jersey, home and the two shared studio space.

Tartan
through January 14, 2024
Victoria & Albert Museum
London, UK
https://www.vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/exhibitions/tartan

Louise Gray 2011. For her iconic collection ‘Up Your Look’, photo by Michael McGurk

If you are a fan of tartan (as we are), the V&A’s exhibition is for you. Tartan offers a thrilling view of over 300 mesmerizing objects showcasing tartan’s timeless appeal and rebellious spirit across fashion, architecture, art and design. See tartan worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie, a Scottish soldier’s unwashed kilt from the trenches of WWI, and the Bay City Rollers trousers handmade by a lifelong fan.

And there is always our Artsy Viewing Room that you can visit without leaving home: Glen Kaufman: Retrospective 1980 – 2010.

Enjoy!

Art Assembled – New This Week in June

June 28, 2023 0 Comment

Welcome to our June Art Assembled blog, where we are thrilled to highlight the incredible art featured in our New This Week series. As the summer season kicks off, we are excited to showcase the works of Anne Wilson, Ed Rossbach, Adela Akers, and Katherine Westphal – four visionary artists who have left an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art.

Throughout the month of June, we have been captivated by the diverse and thought-provoking creations of these artists. From Wilson’s boundary-pushing fiber art to Rossbach’s innovative weaving techniques and unconventional materials, each artwork invites us to explore new dimensions of artistic expression.

Join us as we delve into the artistic journeys of these remarkable individuals, uncovering the inspirations, techniques, and stories behind their extraordinary works!

Anne Wilson hair embroidery
1aw Areas of Disrepair F#27, Anne Wilson found cloth, hair and thread embroidery 15.5” x 12.625” x 2.5 1997

At the beginning of this month, we turned our spotlight to the extraordinary talent of Anne Wilson, a Chicago-based visual artist whose groundbreaking work pushes the boundaries of fiber art. Wilson’s artistic journey is a testament to her relentless pursuit of innovation and her ability to extend traditional processes into new media.

With her diverse range of mediums including sculpture, drawings, photography, performance, and stop-motion animations, Wilson seamlessly weaves together table linens, bed sheets, human hair, lace, glass, thread, and wire to create mesmerizing and thought-provoking compositions. Her art reflects a deep exploration of materiality, weaving together threads of emotion, history, and culture.

We think it’s safe to say that her meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail are evident in every piece she creates. Through her art, Wilson explores themes of identity, memory, and the complex interplay between the personal and the universal.

Ed Rossbach foam rubber weaving
216r Gateway, Ed Rossbach, yellow and white plastic, foam rubber and plastic tape, 56″ x 46.5″ x 10″, 1970.

Next, we direct our attention to the remarkable artist Ed Rossbach. Rossbach was a visionary who made significant contributions to the world of fiber art. His artistic journey spanned decades, and his innovative techniques and unique approach to materials left an indelible mark on the field.

Rossbach’s exploration of weaving went beyond traditional boundaries, as he fearlessly incorporated unconventional materials such as plastics, foam rubber, and plastic tape into his works. His creations defied categorization, blurring the lines between sculpture, textiles, and mixed media. With an astute eye for detail and a penchant for experimentation, Rossbach crafted intricate and captivating pieces that challenged the notions of what fiber art could be.

Throughout his career, Rossbach’s work evolved and diversified, showcasing his mastery of various artistic mediums. From his groundbreaking dimensional weaving in the 1960s to his later explorations of cast paper techniques and mixed-media sculpture, his artistic trajectory was one of continuous growth and innovation. Through his artworks, Rossbach invites us to reimagine the possibilities of fiber as a medium and challenges us to see the world in new and exciting ways, and he will be forever cherished for it!

Adela Akers accordion weaving
14aa Window, Adela Akers, sisal, linen and wool 30” x 108” x 6”, 1998. Photo by Tom Grotta.

Later in the month, we shifted our focus to the remarkable artist Adela Akers, a Spanish-born textile and fiber artist with a rich and influential career spanning several decades. Since the 1950s, Akers has been at the forefront of the modern fiber art movement, making groundbreaking contributions to the field.

Through her innovative techniques and profound artistic expressions, Akers continues to inspire and captivate audiences with her thought-provoking creations. Her work serves as a bridge between traditional textile practices and contemporary art, pushing boundaries and expanding the possibilities of fiber as a medium. Adela Akers’ legacy as a trailblazing artist and her unwavering commitment to her craft make her an indispensable figure in the world of contemporary fiber art.

Along the way, Akers has received many prestigious awards, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. In 2014, she was selected as an artist-in-residence at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, further solidifying her standing as an influential figure in the art community.

Katherine Westphal
46w Mir, Katherine Westphal, printed and drawn, dyed cotton patchwork 28” x 28” x 2.5”, 1997

Last, but certainly not least, we immerse ourselves in the captivating world of Katherine Westphal, a visionary artist known for her innovative approach to surface, pattern, and decoration in textiles, quilts, clothing, and baskets. Westphal’s artistic journey was marked by a distinct exploration of fractured and random images, which became a signature element of her work.

Her collages were a fusion of bold imagery and vibrant colors, reflecting her background and training as a painter. With a keen eye for composition and a willingness to experiment, she allowed the textile to evolve organically, embracing a process of building up and breaking down. Guided by her intuitive and visual senses, she incorporated techniques such as cutting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, tapestry, and fringing, until she felt the message was complete.

Westphal’s artistic legacy continues to inspire and influence contemporary fiber artists, as her boundary-pushing spirit and commitment to creative exploration remain as relevant today as ever.


As we conclude our journey through the remarkable artworks of Anne Wilson, Ed Rossbach, Adela Akers, and Katherine Westphal, we are left in awe of the depth and diversity of their artistic contributions. These artists have pushed boundaries, challenged conventions, and invited us to see the world through their unique perspectives. We hope that this month’s Art Assembled blog has inspired you, sparked your curiosity, and ignited a newfound appreciation for the power of art. Join us again next month as we continue to explore the captivating world of contemporary art and introduce you to more extraordinary artists. Thank you for joining us on this artistic adventure!

Catalog Lookback: California Dreamin’ – An Online Exhibition on Artsy

May 13, 2020 0 Comment
Ed Rossbach, Katherine Westphal, Adela Akers, Syvia Seventy, Marion Hildebrandt, Judy Mulford, Deborah Valoma Catalogs

Ed Rossbach | Katherine Westphal | Marion Hildebrandt | Judy Mulford | Deborah Valoma | Adela Akers | Sylvia Seventy

California has played a seminal role in both the history of the Contemporary Fiber Arts Movement and artists from California have played an equally significant role in browngrotta arts’ exhibition archive.  You’ll find California artists represented in nearly all our group catalogs: Lawrence LaBianca in Stimulus: Art and its Inception (vol. 36); Carol Shaw-Sutton in 25 for the 25th (vol. 25); Nancy Moore Bess in 10th Wave I (vol. 17) and 10th Wave II (vol. 18); Karyl Sisson in Karyl Sisson and Jane Sauer (vol. 12) and Ferne Jacobs in Blue/Green: color/code/context (vol. 44). 

California Dreamin’, an online exhibition on Artsy from May 11 to June 5th, features seven artists: Ed Rossbach, Katherine Westphal, Marion Hildebrandt, Judy Mulford, Deborah Valoma, Adela Akers and Sylvia Seventy.  The exhibition borrows from three browngrotta catalogs (vols. 6, 20, 26) and highlights decades worth of art.

Ed Rossbach Basket
Green with Four Ears by Ed Rossbach, 1984. Photo by Tom Grotta

Best-known of the group, Ed Rossbach, completed his graduate studies at Cranbrook in 1946. He, along with Marianne Strengell worked within the narrow parameters of Euro-Bauhaus-Scandinavian weaving traditions for industry.  “In reaction to this tight definition of textiles,” Jo Ann C. Stabb wrote in Retro/Prospective: 25+ Years of Art Textiles and Sculpture (vol. 37), “Rossbach became fascinated by indigenous textile processes and the use of found materials as he studied artifacts in the anthropology collection at University of California, Berkeley, as a faculty member from 1950 to 1979. Noted for creating three-dimensional, structural forms from unexpected, humble materials including plastic, reeds, newspaper, stapled cardboard, twigs,  Rossbach inspired a renaissance in basketry and vessel forms and influenced other artists, including his students Gyöngy Laky and Lia Cook.”

Katherine Westphal Komono
Chuto-Haupa by Katherine Westphal, 1983. Photo by Tom Grotta

Katherine Westphal, who was married to Rossbach, generated experiments of her own.  In the late 60s she was among the first artists to use photocopy machines to make images for art. In the 1970s, in addition to drawings to baskets, she began creating wearable art, which, according to Glenn Adamson, former director of the Museum of Arts and Design. was a genre she essentially invented. She wanted it said of the graments she created:  “there wasn’t another one like it in the world, and most people probably wouldn’t be caught dead in it.”  Few were worn, most were hung on the wall like paintings.  Her work displayed wide-ranging, autobiographical themes, arising from her travels: Native American art from trips through the Southwest, cracked Greek pots viewed on a trip to the Met, portraits of geishas after visiting Japan. “I want to become a link in that long chain of human activity, the patterning on any surface available,” she said. 

Large Sylvia Seventy Paper Basket
Bound Vessel IX by Sylvia Seventy, 1983. Photo by Tom Grotta

Also in the 70s, Sylvia Seventy, inspired in part by her studies of the art of the Pomo Indians, was exploring her own innovative techniques in paper making.  In 1982, The New York Times said of her works, “The vessel forms of Sylvia Seventy, all produced over molds, are rich, earthy bowl shapes, with embedded bamboo, cotton cord and sisal.  From a distance they appear to be hard, perhaps stoneware; on closer inspection, they are fragile works.”  Her vessels feature an accretion of items: compositions of beads, feathers, fishhooks, googly eyes, hand prints, and buttons, creating what Charles Tally called “emotionally poignant landscapes within the interior of the vessel[s].” (Artweek, November 29, 1990). 

Deborah Valoma, author, art historian and creator of both textile and sculpture, heads the Textiles Program at the California College of Arts and Crafts (Oakland).  Valoma credits numerous influencers for her work: “I first learned to knit in Jerusalem from a Polish refugee of the Holocaust.  I learned to stitch lace from my grandmother, descendant of Armenian survivors of the Turkish massacres.  I learned to twine basketry from one of the few living masters of Native American basketweaving in California. These dedicated women tenaciously pass the threads of survival forward.  When their memory fails, my hands remember.  My hands trace the breathless pause when I teeter on the sharp edge of sorrow and beauty.”  Using hand-construction techniques and cutting-edge digital weaving technology, her work hugs the edges of traditional practice.  She upholds traditional customs and at the same time, unravels long-held stereotypes.  Valoma believes that students must locate themselves within historical lineages in order to understand the historical terrain they walk — and sometimes trip — through daily. 

Detail of Sigmund Freud Quote woven by Deborah Valoma
Detail of Femininity by Deborah Valoma, 2008
Grouping Marion Hildebrandt baskets
Baskets by Marion Hildebrandt, 2002-2003. Photo by Tom Grotta

Marion Hildebrandt lived and worked in Napa Valley, gathering most of the plant material used in her baskets from the region until her death in 2011.  “My works are a coming together of my life experiences,” Hildebrandt said.  “My basketmaking reflects a longtime interest and study of native California flora and fauna.”  Hildebrandt employed the same materials that Native Americans used when they inhabited the area.  “It is still possible to find plants here that were used by basketmakers 4000 years ago,” she noted. Although she never attempted to replicate their baskets, she shared a similar appreciation for the natural materials that surrounded her.  “Ever so subtly, plants cycle from winter to summer,” she observed. “Each day, week, month brings changes that effect the materials that I collect and use for my baskets.”

Detail of Judy Mulford Sculpture
Detail of Plan Your Parenthood-Population by Judy Mulford, 2009. Photo by Tom Grotta

Further down the California coast, Judy Mulford continues to create her narrative sculptures and baskets of gourds.  Mulford studied Micronesian fiber arts and in the 70s was one of a group of women who worked on Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party.  She says each piece she creates “becomes a container of conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings: a nest, a womb, a secret, surprise or a giggle.  And always, a feeling of being in touch with my female ancestral beginnings.”  Her sculptures integrate photo images, drawings, script, buttons and small figures.  Mulford explains: “The gourds are surrounded by knotless netting – an ancient looping technique – symbolic because it is also a buttonhole stitch historically rooted in the home.”

Angled Blue, 1989 and Markings and Blues, 2018 by Adela Akers. Photo by Tom Grotta

In the 1970s, Adela Akers on the East Coast teaching at Temple University, but she has been creating art as a resident of Califonia for the last 25 years. Drawing inspiration from African and South American textiles, Akers creates woven compositions of simple geometric shapes, bands, zigzags and checks.  Many of her works incorporate metal strips —  meticulously measured and cut from recycled California wine bottle caps.  Her techniques and materials produce images that change under different lighting conditions.  Akers also frequently incorporates horsehair into her weavings, adding texture and dimensionality.  Over time, Akers’ work has evolved in scale, material and construction. Yet, several themes reoccur, notably the use of line which, in conjunction with light, brings forth the transformative quality that uniquely characterizes her work.

From May 11th to June 7th, view an assortment of works by these artists at California Dreamin’ on Artsy