afiberartist
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 22, 2024 19:38:35 GMT
I have been trying to prepare an artist statement and would like to get your input on a description. As you know from this site I fit a little in each several categories and need to hone this down. I do not use the word “crochet” as it seems to lock me into the "craft area", if I use felting then I get put into the needle felting and or wet felting/nuno felting. My process is: - I “freestyle" crochet the piece in 99% wool
- Washing machine felt the wool
- Embellish the piece
- Framing where necessary
So see if you can agree with this: I am a “freestyle hook felter”. There is a "freeform" title BUT technically it is to take many small and large pieces (crocheted or knitted) stitch together to make a piece of fabric. I do not normally join a lot of smaller pieces together but twist and turn a piece just changing colors and continue on hence I use “freestyle” instead of freeform. Using “hook” to differentiate from needle felting. Stuck a little using machine felting or adding washing machine felting. What do you think?
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 22, 2024 20:52:58 GMT
I'm not sure how you are using the term but I am not sure I would understand what you mean unless you had all the explanations to go with the title. Can you not use mixed media fiber art? Do you have to be so specific?
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 22, 2024 21:26:29 GMT
I'm not sure how you are using the term but I am not sure I would understand what you mean unless you had all the explanations to go with the title. Can you not use mixed media fiber art? Do you have to be so specific? So if a needle felter or wet felter that uses beads or other mediums should then be changed to mixed media felter too?
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 22, 2024 21:52:00 GMT
In my fiber world there was no such thing a a freeformer (scrumblers) until Sylvia Cosh, James Walter’s and Prudence Mapstone. That definition “freeform” has since been watered down a bit. See their work . I do not feel that I meet the criteria for freeform, wet felting, nuno and really don’t like the mixed media because it is too broad. I believe that galleries lump all types of textiles (loose term) together and limit items being shown probably because of that lumping.
The galleries I have personally gone to and shown my work have said immediately they want to show my work because of how different it is. This difference comes from my process. Not any of them used “mixed media felter, needle felter, nuno or wet felter. I guess I am wanting to forge an accurate depiction of my work.
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Post by MTRuth on Jan 23, 2024 0:28:14 GMT
I call my work mixed media or textile art. I don't use felter or wet felter or any of that in my descriptions. I owned a gallery for twenty years and "lumped" everything under fiber art or textile art. But that's just me.
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 23, 2024 15:04:41 GMT
I call my work mixed media or textile art. I don't use felter or wet felter or any of that in my descriptions. I owned a gallery for twenty years and "lumped" everything under fiber art or textile art. But that's just me. Thank you for your input.
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Post by caterina on Jan 23, 2024 17:37:53 GMT
I would go for the broader term, then describe your unique process in the statement.
I mean, an oil painter would not need to say exactly in their title how they apply the paint, if they drip it or use spatulas or what. They may add something like "classic" or "with an innovative technique" or equivalent, but not much detail: that may come in the statement or not at all. A lot of people are not that interested in how the artist makes the piece, but just in the impact of the piece, I am afraid, and a lot of artists' statements that I have had a look at online seem to be pretty vague on techniques and big on what is expressed by the works.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jan 23, 2024 19:33:25 GMT
To be honest, I find that many Artist's Statements read like pretentious clap trap and I rarely read them at an exhibition, at least not more than the first few lines. Some artists take themselves too seriously and it really turns me off their work. I have on one occasion been sent straight out of an exhibition, without looking at more than the first piece, after reading that sort of Statement. Then you have the artists who are down to earth and happy to really discuss their work and how it is produced. In that sort of case it is a pure pleasure to study their work. I suspect that some art schools/colleges may be to blame for the pretentious Statements.
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 23, 2024 22:01:47 GMT
To be honest, I find that many Artist's Statements read like pretentious clap trap and I rarely read them at an exhibition, at least not more than the first few lines. Some artists take themselves too seriously and it really turns me off their work. I have on one occasion been sent straight out of an exhibition, without looking at more than the first piece, after reading that sort of Statement. Then you have the artists who are down to earth and happy to really discuss their work and how it is produced. In that sort of case it is a pure pleasure to study their work. I suspect that some art schools/colleges may be to blame for the pretentious Statements.
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 23, 2024 22:30:43 GMT
To be honest, I find that many Artist's Statements read like pretentious clap trap and I rarely read them at an exhibition, at least not more than the first few lines. Some artists take themselves too seriously and it really turns me off their work. I have on one occasion been sent straight out of an exhibition, without looking at more than the first piece, after reading that sort of Statement. I can totally agree with your summary of artists statements however they are asked/required by the galleries to present your work.
Then you have the artists who are down to earth and happy to really discuss their work and how it is produced. In that sort of case it is a pure pleasure to study their work. If you are not their to talk and tell the audience about your work then you must rely on a type of artist statement. I suspect that some art schools/colleges may be to blame for the pretentious Statements. I cannot agree with you more. Working in a field honing your craft for over a decade should qualify as much a school/colleges BUT unless you can articulate what they are asking for your work will get seen.
I guess this is why I came here, thinking that there would be an understanding of wanting to see fiber art/felting of specific types to be represented equally in the art world without bundling it under a large umbrella.
I really guess I am attempting to become a “spoke" in that umbrella.
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 23, 2024 23:41:28 GMT
I would go for the broader term, then describe your unique process in the statement. I mean, an oil painter would not need to say exactly in their title how they apply the paint, if they drip it or use spatulas or what. They may add something like "classic" or "with an innovative technique" or equivalent, but not much detail: that may come in the statement or not at all. A lot of people are not that interested in how the artist makes the piece, but just in the impact of the piece, I am afraid, and a lot of artists' statements that I have had a look at online seem to be pretty vague on techniques and big on what is expressed by the works. Catina, I like “with an innovative technique” (I will steel that 😀) I can agree with general public but not sure that the gallery people that choose works to show, look for certain things. Most times there does seem to be some “how it was made” especially with unusual products. We were at our local museum and a piece there received some type of “award” the piece was good not great but good but I believe it was awarded because it was done in "make-up". Yes, I said make-up and it was stated on the piece thats what they used. Also the Cranbrook is notorious for ensuring that "what and how" it was made is in there descriptions. Maybe, contemporary art requires more description. When we travel which is about twice a year, we stop at the art galleries all across America and local smaller galleries. I concur that general art (mostly painting) does not offer more specifics on how it was made but when I go to the contemporary side and I find they are more descriptive in materials used.
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Post by caterina on Jan 24, 2024 22:27:02 GMT
That is an interesting analysis of what you have seen in your area and around you.
I guess that I studied History of Contemporary art (a kind of oxymoron) in a place where meaning of the contemporary artwork took preminence over techniques (Italy) , although it was important that the techniques should be original, and sometimes the techniques where the meaning. I remember long descriptive passages on metaphysics and an exam where I had to instantly distinguish between almost identical works from different artists🤣 gosh, I wish to forget it all now!
Anyway, I think that only you, the artist, can give yourself that title and express what you are and want to achieve with your art: totally imagined being, the artist. In the sense that they make themselves with their imagination nowadays. There are artists selling invisible artworks in Italy, you know, and we have had an artist selling his poo..All true.
So, if defining your particular technique is major in your thinking about yourself, just go for it. It's all part of your image.
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afiberartist
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I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 24, 2024 22:55:06 GMT
Here is what I came up with for my artist statement
Fiber artist
I was introduced to pre-spun fibers in my teens and found my life long fascination of the yarns. The agent to accomplish my creativity is the age old traditional tools that goes back centuries.
In my learning process; I tirelessly immersed myself in the study of stitches and how using different colors, sizes of pre-spun fibers and unequal sizes of hooks would evoke different effects.
Having the ability to manipulate the pre-spun fiber into a fabric via twisting and turning of the yarns for many, many years lead me to taking an elevated path still using the elements I have used for several decades but with a twist.
The path was to felt wool yarns, still using the above educated tools. This added a complexity I had been looking for and in 2000 changed my trajectory to the felting of my chosen artistic path.
This was attempted in many hand crafted fiber mediums but was discarded because of the uncertainty of its outcome and its complexity - this is what drives me everyday.
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afiberartist
Full Member
I updated my web presence. Https://daisyhillstudio.art.blog
Posts: 208
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Post by afiberartist on Jan 24, 2024 23:26:11 GMT
That is an interesting analysis of what you have seen in your area and around you. I guess that I studied History of Contemporary art (a kind of oxymoron) in a place where meaning of the contemporary artwork took preminence over techniques (Italy) , although it was important that the techniques should be original, and sometimes the techniques where the meaning. I remember long descriptive passages on metaphysics and an exam where I had to instantly distinguish between almost identical works from different artists🤣 gosh, I wish to forget it all now! Anyway, I think that only you, the artist, can give yourself that title and express what you are and want to achieve with your art: totally imagined being, the artist. In the sense that they make themselves with their imagination nowadays. There are artists selling invisible artworks in Italy, you know, and we have had an artist selling his poo..All true. So, if defining your particular technique is major in your thinking about yourself, just go for it. It's all part of your image. Can you explain “meaning”? Is it something I/you “feel” or how the artist feels? At one of the galleries they had a real banana duck taped to a canvas. Could they have set it on a kitchen table and expected the same result? I guess they would have still had to tape it down because someone might eat the art.🤣 Your “poo” 💩 one reminds me of the menstrual cycle blood in a acrylic box. Or the pubic hair forming words in an acrylic box at one of the galleries I guess I'm a technique girl, I prefer to understand about how it was made, then why they made it with those materials, colors, textures. How I “feel" about it is how I perceive it mostly based on execution of the materials. If they tell me how I am to react/feel, I don’t get it. I do not require my art to make a social justice/injustice statement if it does in some ones eyes that's them. I guess I like Bob Ross’s world happy little trees.🌳
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Post by caterina on Jan 25, 2024 16:46:13 GMT
Well, I can't personally give you any help on the statement itself, I have no experience on being a gallery owner in your area (or anywhere!) . But if it feels to you that you have said about yourself and your art the important bits, then I suppose it will do.
Nothwistanding a dire education in History of Art, I am still personally more interested in getting an idea of what the artist was aiming to accomplish and communicate, in using those materials and techniques in that way, that is just me, but there are plenty of art lovers that think differently and you are going to find your collectors and galleries for sure. I guess that there is space for different ways of thinking about art, and that is true for textile art as well, it would be boring otherwise.
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