Throughout October, our New This Week series introduced an array of talented artists, including Ed Rossbach, Norma Minkowitz, Laura Thomas, and Noriko Takamiya. We’re thrilled to showcase their remarkable contributions and invite you to explore their extraordinary work.

Ed Rossbach kicked off the month with his iconic sculptures that meld traditional techniques with innovative materials. Renowned as an imaginative and adept weaver, Rossbach is celebrated for his pioneering role in transforming basketry into a sculptural art form.

Rossbach expertly combines ancient weaving techniques with unorthodox materials, such as plastics and newspaper, challenging the boundaries of traditional craft. Additionally, his work often incorporates unconventional imagery and pop culture references, reflecting his innovative spirit and cultural commentary. With an eye for detail and a commitment to experimentation, Rossbach’s pieces are not only visually striking but also carry notable cultural significance.

Next, we featured the talented artist Norma Minkowitz, known for her innovative approach to crocheted, interlaced sculptures that are stiffened into hard mesh-like structures. For many years, Minkowitz has been exploring these techniques, achieving both structure and surface simultaneously. Minkowitz has studied drawing. In addition to “sketching” in crochet, she creates highly detailed collages with intricate drawing combined with pop and other images, like Picasso’s eyes in The Seekers.

A Fellow of the American Craft Council, Minkowitz’s work is held in numerous prestigious collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We hope you enjoyed her work as much as we do!

Following Minkowitz, we turned our spotlight to artist Laura Thomas, known for her innovative approach to contemporary textiles. Since her first experience of weaving in 1996, Thomas has been thoroughly absorbed by its infinite scope for exploration and experimentation. She established her studio practice in South Wales in 2004 and has worked on a diverse range of projects, spanning public art, commercial textile design, curation, artist residencies, and creating work for exhibitions.

Thomas’s multi-faceted approach sets her apart in the woven textiles sphere, making her a distinctive voice in contemporary textile art.

Lastly, we showcased Noriko Takamiya, celebrated for her contemporary take on traditional Japanese basketmaking techniques. Takamiya’s practice is a captivating blend of experimentation and refinement, as she explores various weaving methods using materials such as wood splint, ramie, rice straw, and paper.

Her work often features non-vessel forms that highlight the unique interplay between structure and material. Takamiya is a member of a distinguished group of innovative basketmakers, inspired by Hisako Sekijima’s pioneering basket technology, which has evolved into a new method of three-dimensional modeling. This influential group has held an annual basketry exhibition since 1986, continually pushing the boundaries of basketry and significantly contributing to the field.

As we wrap up October, we’re grateful for your continued support and interest in our artists. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we approach the opening of Japandi Revisited and keep exploring the incredible world of textile art!

Thank you for following along with our latest features and updates. Don’t forget to reserve your spot for the upcoming exhibition, and we look forward to sharing more details soon!

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“Right-sized” refers to adjusting something to an appropriate or optimal size. In Right-Sized, the third exhibition within Ways of Seeing, we explore collections through this lens. We’ve drawn inspiration from collectors who focus on intention and specificity—such as historic textiles, woven portraits, and Japanese baskets.

Herb and Dorothy Vogel, for example, a postal worker and a librarian, built a world-class collection of Minimalist and Conceptual art in their New York apartment, mindful of both affordability and space constraints. One artist noted that they would only purchase works they could transport home via subway or taxi. Similarly, Lloyd Cotsen, known for his diverse collections, including Chinese bronze mirrors, children’s books, and Noah’s arks, considered size in his creation of The Box Project, now housed at The Textile Museum at The George Washington University Museum For this project, Cotsen requested 36 artists to create three-dimensional works that fit within boxes measuring either 14 x 14 x 2 .5 inches or 23 x 14 x 2.5 inches. The goal was to observe how contemporary fiber artists navigated challenges related to physical restrictions and dimensions. In Right-Sized, we have selected works that adhere to specific parameters of small size, much like Cotsen’s project, while also considering affordability, akin to the Vogels’ approach.

Right-Sized is characterized by its diversity in materials, techniques, and approaches. The exhibition includes a variety of framed paper works—pleated, painted, printed, and collaged—alongside a salon wall of eclectic pieces, including sculptural works made from sisal, paper, linen, and hemp, a “weaving” of copper, “drawings” in stone, and a Japanese watercolor woodblock print (mokuhanga). We have assembled a grouping of cubes and spheres of everything from bark to jute to stainless steel and another of baskets of natural materials, each at least 12 inches high. Elsewhere In Right-Sized, viewers will find exquisite embroidery by Diane Itter, wood vessels by Markku Kosonen, willow sculpture by Lizzie Farey, and threads embedded in perspex by Laura Thomas.

With its eclectic assortment of more than 70 works, Right-Sized seeks to engage viewers’ impulses to classify, organize, and collect.

See what we have assembled, in person, or in the Ways of Seeing catalog: 

Exhibition Details:
Ways of Seeing
exploring ways individuals envision and curate art collections
browngrotta arts
276 Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897

Gallery Dates/Hours:
Saturday, September 21st: 11am to 6pm [Opening & Artist Reception]
Sunday, September 22nd: 11am to 6pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Monday, September 23rd through Saturday,September 28th: 10am to 5pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Sunday, September 29th: 11am to 6pm [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)

browngrotta.com

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Over the past month, our New This Week series has introduced an array of talented artists, including Gudrun Pagter, James Bassler, Noriko Takamiya, and Zofia Butrymowicz. We’re thrilled to showcase their remarkable contributions and offer you a glimpse into their extraordinary work.

Catch up on all our recent features and stay tuned for more exciting updates as we count down to our big exhibition!

Kicking off the month, we had the pleasure of featuring the work of Gudrun Pagter. A distinguished Danish artist, Pagter is celebrated for her bold and graphic tapestries that engage deeply with themes of architecture and geometry.

Pagter’s artwork is characterized by narrow lines and shifts in color fields, demonstrating her commitment to exploring and refining artistic idioms. She describes her approach as a rigorous investigation into the picture plane, employing a disciplined structuring of geometric forms and a restricted color palette. Her work not only captures the essence of architectural forms but also invites viewers into a meticulously crafted world of design.

We’re thrilled to showcase Pagter’s captivating pieces and hope you found her feature as inspiring as we did!

Next, we turned our spotlight to the remarkable James Bassler and his tapestry Tracking Nasca Patterns. Since 1980, Bassler has delved into various weaving traditions, including the wedge-weave structure of the Navajo, Japanese shibori, and pre-Columbian scaffold weave techniques. His work is a testament to his dedication to exploring and preserving these ancient textile practices.

This specific piece was crafted with linen for both the warp and parts of the weft, this tapestry incorporates natural dark brown cotton from Guatemala, lighter brown cotton from Oaxaca, and Coyuchi, a handspun silk from Oaxaca. The unique silk used in this work is produced by worms that feed on native oak trees, adding a special touch of nature’s elegance. The highlight of the tapestry is the striking purple-dyed handspun cotton called Caracol, derived from a traditional dyeing process involving sea snails found along the Pacific coast of Oaxaca. Local artisans collect the snails to extract the dye before returning them to their habitat, demonstrating a sustainable practice deeply rooted in tradition.

We’re honored to showcase Bassler’s intricate and culturally rich tapestry, and we hope you enjoy exploring the craftsmanship and historical significance embedded in this piece.

We then turned our spotlight to the innovative Noriko Takamiya, celebrated for her contemporary take on traditional Japanese basketmaking techniques. Takamiya’s practice is a captivating blend of experimentation and refinement, as she explores various weaving methods using an array of materials such as wood splint, ramie, rice straw, and paper.

Her work often features non-vessel forms that highlight the unique interplay between structure and material. Takamiya’s approach involves wrapping, tying, and plaiting techniques, resulting in intricate, sculptural pieces that showcase her mastery over both form and texture.

Takamiya is part of a distinguished group of basketmakers, inspired by Hisako Sekijima’s pioneering basket technology, which has evolved into a new method of three-dimensional modeling. Since 1986, this influential group has continued to push the boundaries of basketry, contributing significantly to the field.

Last, but certainly not least, we honored the late artist Zofia Butrymowicz, a pioneering figure in East European textile art. Butrymowicz is remembered for her innovative approach to weaving, which she referred to as “loom thinking.” This technique involved working directly on the loom without a prepared cartoon, allowing for spontaneous and dynamic creations.

Butrymowicz excelled in the wool gobelin technique, utilizing handspun wools that were often rough and irregular to create striking and textured pieces. Her work frequently emphasized color, reflecting her deep interest in experimentation and new artistic expressions. Throughout her career, Butrymowicz’s contributions to the art world were celebrated globally, and her legacy continues to inspire.

Her unique approach and dedication to pushing the boundaries of textile art have left an indelible mark. We’re privileged to feature her remarkable work, celebrating her innovative spirit and enduring influence.

Thank you for following along with our latest features and updates. We’re excited to share more as we approach the launch of Ways of Seeing. Don’t forget to reserve your spot for the exhibition and stay tuned for further details!

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Exhibitions

Kyoto, Japan
The World of Textiles and Basketry
Ended October
Gallerie Aube
Kyoto University of the Arts
Kyoto, Japan
https://uryu-tsushin.kyoto-art.ac.jp/detail/1041

In September and October, 2022, as a milestone of 40 years at Kyoto University of the Arts, Keiji Nio, Professor, Department of Arts and Crafts, prepared an exhibition that combined his own history, woven kimono, tapestry, fiber art and basketry, which are rarely seen in the same venue. Aiming to create an exhibition space that transcended the scope of the group of works, he planned The World of Textiles and Basketry, held at the Galerie Aube attached to Kyoto University of the Arts. Included was work by Erika Otsuka, a traditional crafts exhibition exhibitor, Misako Nakahira, a tapestry artist who makes full use of tsuzureori, photographs and kasuri weaving, works of Megumi Takeda, a tapestry artist who combines the above, and the works of 30 artists, including Noriko Takamiya, who have been participating in and annual basketry exhibition for many years, all in the same venue, it was a fresh group of works that are not bound by materials or techniques.  In addition to classical textiles, there were many structures and works that can be called sculptures though “woven” at first glance. There are additional images in the University newsletter: https://uryu-tsushin.kyoto-art.ac.jp/detail/1041.

Irvine, California
Dissolve
University Art Museum
UC Irvine Institute and Museum of California Art (IMCA)
Through December 10, 2022 
Interim Location: 
18881 Von Karman Avenue
Suite 100
Irvine, CA 92612
https://imca.uci.edu/exhibition/dissolve/

Dissolve explores how certain artists, including Lia Cook, perceive what it means to change from one form to another. Through painting, photography, sculpture, installation and video, selected artworks demonstrate how gradual and immediate changes impact viewers’ perceptions of self, one another, and the shared environment. Adopting an inclusive view of the process of dissolving, the featured artists visualize the physical dissolution of light, water, distance, and geographic borders. They also address the dissolution of personal relationships, identity, and social and political networks. 

Cheongju, Korea
The Gravity of Movement
Through December 11, 2022
Cheongju Korean Craft Center
https://cjkcm.org/craft1_eng/

The Gravity of Movement features works by Chang Yeonsoon, including works from the matrix series, the road to the center, and a site-specific installation are included.

Commissions

Jennifer Falck Linssen has completed a commissioned wall sculpture, Aeolian for a client in the US. It’s 168 inches long of Katagami-style handcarved paper and metal. Materials include archival cotton paper, aluminum, linen, pigment, mica, acrylic, and varnish. The work will be installed in December.

Also of Note

London, UK
Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope
Through May 21, 2023
Tate Modern
Bankside
London, UK SE1 9TG
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/magdalena-abakanowicz

In the 1960s and 70s, the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz created radical sculptures from woven fibre. They were soft not hard; ambiguous and organic; towering works that hung from the ceiling and pioneered a new form of installation. They became known as the Abakans. This exhibition presents a rare opportunity to explore this extraordinary body of work. Many of the most significant Abakans will be brought together in a forest-like display in the 64-metre long gallery space of the Blavatnik Building at Tate Modern. The exhibition is organized by Tate Modern in collaboration with the Fondation Toms Pauli at the Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts de Lausanne/Plateforme 10 and Henie Onstad Art Centre, Høvikodden.

Check them out.

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Inspired by her lifelong love of human condition, Dawn MacNutt’s work remains centered on the “beauty of human frailty. Witnessing small, yet meaningful human interactions, such as seeing people experience pain, love and joy, has had a lasting impact on MacNutt’s work. To obtain material for her work, MacNutt utilizes the nature around her, using willow harvested from the ditches and lanes around her home in Nova Scotia. 

Praise, Dawn MacNutt, inflorescens and reed, 19”x 4”x 5”, 2007. Photo by Tom Grotta

Made solely from paper, Cube Connection 09 showcase Noriko Takamiya’s non-traditional basketry techniques. Despite choosing differing methods, Takamiya still feels connected to ancient basketmakers. “I find myself in the same situation,” explains Takamiya. “Even if the resulting objects are different, the ancient basketmakers and I do the same thing, which is to seek the techniques and materials to develop into one’s own work.”

Cube Connection 09, Noriko Takamiya
paper, 4” x 13” x 7”, 2016. Photo by Tom Grotta

In 1975, Kyoko Kumai began using metallic materials such as stainless steel filaments in her sculptures. The malleable nature of the stainless steel allows it to be woven, twisted or bundled to create sensuous forms in order to express aspects of wind, air and light. “Thin pieces of stainless steel wire create a richly expressive fabric that does not stand solidly, cleaving the air,” explains Kumai. “It has its own language fluttering above the floor; breathing and melting into the air.” 

Memory, Kyoko Kumai,
stainless steel filaments
41” x 19” x 19”, 2017. Photo by Tom Grotta

Ex Claim! by Gyöngy Laky is sure to grab your attention. Made using G.I. Joes and bullets, the piece serves as Laky’s personal examination of our complex relationships with the world around us. Laky’s works often have underlying themes of opposition to war and militarism. Born in Hungary in 1944, the physical and emotional effects of war impacted Laky from a very young age. In her opinion, “We are smart enough to have moved beyond war as a means of dealing with problems by now.”

Ex Claim!, Gyöngy Laky,
commercial wood”; 2014; G.I. Joes; acrylic paint; “bullets for building (trim screws),
64” x 21” x 7”. Photo by Tom Grotta.

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Poster from this year’s Basketry Exhibition

Red/White Revolving, Noriko Takamiya, paper constructions, 6″ x 7″ x 6″, 2010

Fuhkyoh,
Tsuruko Tanikawa, linked copper, 17″ x 16″ x 6.5″, 2002, stainless steel wire

Capricious Plaiting, Kazue Honma, paper mulberry plaiting, 56 x 43 x 20cm, 2016

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Still Crazy…30 Years: The Catalog

It’s big! It’s beautiful (if we do say so ourselves –and we do)! The catalog for our 30th anniversary is now available on our new shopping cart. The catalog — our 46th volume — contains 196 pages (plus the cover), 186 color photographs of work by 83 artists, artist statements, biographies, details and installation shots.

Naoko Serino Spread

Michael Radyk Spread

Lilla Kulka Spread

Jo Barker Spread

The essay, is by Janet Koplos, a longtime editor at Art in America magazine, a contributing editor to Fiberarts, and a guest editor of American Craft. She is the author of Contemporary Japanese Sculpture (Abbeville, 1990) and co-author of Makers: A History of American Studio Craft (University of North Carolina Press, 2010). We have included a few sample spreads here. Each includes a full-page image of a work, a detail shot and an artist’s statement. There is additional artists’ biographical information in the back of the book. Still Crazy After All These Years…30 years in art can be purchased at www.browngrotta.com http://store.browngrotta.
com/still-crazy-after-all-these-years-30-years-in-art/. Our shopping cart is mobile-device friendly and we now take PayPal.

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Pantone Color of the Year Greenery

Pantone has revealed that “greenery” will be the Color of the Year for 2017. Pantone describes “greenery” as “a refreshing and revitalizing shade” that is “symbolic of new beginnings.”
With new beginnings in mind, here, in honor of January — are some green-themed artworks for you to view. Baskets, tapestries and mixed media sculpture–green can inspire works of all sorts, made of materials from glass beads to copper wire to Japanese paper.

Gyöngy Laky, Proceeding
Photo: M. Lee Fatherree

Rachel Max, After Haeckel II
Photo by Tom Grotta

Lawrence LaBianca, My Fathers Dream
Photo by Tom Grotta

Ed Rossbach, Green with Four Ears
Photo by Tom Grotta

Scott Rothstein, #62
Photo by Tom Grotta

Nancy Koenigsberg, Aurora
Photo by Tom Grotta

Adela Akers, Five Windows
Photo by Tom Grotta

Debra Sachs, Green Armadillo Basket
Photo by Debra Sachs

Deborah Valoma, The Surge
Photo by Tom Grotta

Jeannine Anderson, Untitled
Photo by tom Grotta

Axel Russmeyer, Untitled
Photo by Tom Grotta

Noriko Takamiya, #36 Revolving
Photo by Tom Grotta

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Mariyo Yagi preparing her outdoor sculpture “A cycle- Infinity” for the upcoming exhibit in the US. Photo by Yuna Yagi

From September 16th to November 4, 2016, the Bendheim Gallery of the Greenwich Arts Council in Greenwich, Connecticut will present Contemporary Art Influenced by Korea and Japan: An Unexpected Approach, curated by browngrotta arts. The exhibition includes select works of ceramics, textiles, baskets and sculptures by artists from Japan, Korea and the United States that each reflect an Asian sensibility.

Weaving by Chiyoko Tanaka, Ceramic by Yasuhisa Kohyama. Photo by Tom Grotta

Varied materials and techniques

The 23 artists in this exhibit have a close relationship to a traditional craft aesthetic, manifested in a contemporary manner. They have chosen conventionally Asian materials and/or techniques (dyes, papers, gold leaf, persimmon tannin, kategami) used in both time-honored and unconventional ways. Examples include studies by Hiroyuki Shindo of the vanishing art of natural indigo dyeing and by Jun Tomita on ikat dyeing.  Jennifer Linssen’s innovative sculptures of katagami and Keiji Nio’s Interlacing-R, which references complex Japanese sumihimo braiding reimagine conventional techniques. Masakazu and Naomi Kobayashi, Naoko Serino and Kyoko Kumai also create new relationships among disparate material and techniques.

Auric Grid Fold, Kiyomi Iwata, aluminum mesh, french embroidery knots, gold leaf, silk organza, 19″ x 18″ x 10″, 2013. Photo by Tom Grotta

In other works, like Kiyomi Iwata’s Auric Gold Fold, Glen Kaufman’s Shimogamo Scrolls: Studio View II and Jin-Sook So, Pojagi Constructions I and II, gold and silver leaf play a role, their luster and longevity suggesting immortality, power, divinity. The artists share a concern for surface and material interaction, evident in Chiyoko Tanaka’s Grinded Fabric-Three Squares Blue Threads and Blue #689, of linen distressed with earth and stones, Hideho Tanaka’s Vanishing and Emerging series of stainless steel and singed paper and Mariyo Yagi’s twisted rope sculpture, A cycle-Infinity. The artists in Contemporary Art Influenced by Korea and Japan: An Unexpected Approach create work that is formal and contained while visibly involving the hand of the artist. This exhibition is a collaboration between the Greenwich Arts Council and browngrotta Arts.

The complete list of artists participating in this exhibition is:

Nancy Moore Bess (United States); Pat Campbell (United States); Kiyomi Iwata (Japan); Glen Kaufman (United States); Masakazu Kobayashi (Japan); Naomi Kobayashi (Japan); Yasuhisa Kohyama (Japan); Kyoko Kumai (Japan); Jennifer Falck Linssen (United States); Keiji Nio (Japan); Toshio Sekiji (Japan); Hisako Sekijima (Japan); Naoko Serino (Japan); Hiroyuki Shindo (Japan); Jin-Sook So (Korea/Sweden); Norkiko Takamiya (Japan); Chiyoko Tanaka (Japan); Hideho Tanaka (Japan); Takaaki Tanaka (Japan); Jun Tomita (Japan); Mariyo Yagi (Japan); Chang Yeonsoon (Korea); Jiro Yonezawa (Japan); Shin Young-ok (Korea).

The Bendheim Gallery is located at 299 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut; 203.862.6750; info@greenwicharts.org.

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July cover of selvedge magazine

We are excited to be featured in the July issue of selvedge magazine. We have long been fans of the UK magazine, which is artfully designed with lush photos and creative illustrations, and, like browngrotta arts, economical in its use of capital letters. We have a large collection of back issues, stockpiled for reference and inspiration.

Issue 10
A ROCK AND A SLOW PACE: Sue Lawty Interview
MUTUAL ADMIRATION: Bamboo has inspired artists worldwide by Nancy Moore Bess

Issue 10 was a particular favorite, not surprisingly, with an insightful profile of Sue Lawty, “A rock and a slow pace” followed by an update on bamboo artwork by Nancy Moore Bess, “Mutual Admiration: Bamboo Has Inspired Artists Worldwide.” But we also loved the piece on fashion drawings in the letters of Jane Austen, “Detailed statements” in the Romance issue (34) and the introduction to Indian embroidery in Issue 00. The magazine is a great source of information about what’s current and what’s past in textile art and design, interiors, fashion — around the world. Founded by Polly Leonard in 2003, selvedge is intentionally produced “with the time, thought and skill” required in textile practice. The magazine ably succeeds in its aim of “see[ing] the world through a textile lens, but cast[ing] our eye far and wide looking for links between our subject and achievements in other fields from architecture to archeology”— in this case, as far as Wilton, Connecticut.

page 31 July Selvedge magazine. Pictured works by Lia Cook, Marian Bijlenga, Sara Brennan, Kay Sekimachi, Noriko Takamiya, Nancy Moore Bess, Keiji Nio, Birgit Birkkjaer, Lenore Tawney

As we were preparing our Of Two Minds: Artists Who Do Two of a Kind exhibition in 2014, selvedge sent Rhonda Sonnenberg to interview us for a piece. Sonnenberg has written about fiber artists for some time, including Kate Anderson, Lisa Kokin and Fran Gardner, and we’ve talked shop with her at SOFAs in years past. Over the couple of hours she was in Wilton, we discussed with her the changes we have seen in the field in our two-dozen plus years promoting art textiles and we talked about some of the artists we were watching with interest. The conversation was a good prelude to our show that followed in 2015, Influence and Evolution: Fiber Sculpture…then and now, in which we highlighted work by 15 of the newer-to-the field artists whose work we admire. The selvedge article, “Consuming Fibre,” features photographs of work by many browngrotta artists. You can buy a copy online, through the Selvedge store at: http://www.selvedge.org.

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