Constructed, Assembled and Printed Textile Surfaces, [ Spring Shows and the One Of A Kind Show ]

The Jewellery Box by Nancy Yule Booth: D-12 at the One Of A Kind Show March 30 - April 3, 

"We all have an intimate relationship with fabric during our lifetimes. Life begins swaddled in a blanket and ends in a burial shroud. Although we take cloth for granted, I am enamoured with all of it’s qualities. It’s fluidity, texture, tactility, colour, the list seems endless."

Nancy Yule (from her website  www.nancyyule.com ) 

As Spring blossoms so do a new round of exhibitions:

                      Valerie Knapp, Whirl and Sticks, change purse, relief printed on 100% linen,  fastened with Mother of Pearl Button  photo by Joe Lewis

Handy: An Exhibition of Functional Craft
March 17 - April 10, 2011
Ontario Crafts Council Gallery
990 Queen Street W, Toronto

Pat Burns-Wendland, Midnight Flight, Handwoven Kimono, pre-dyed tencel then discharged resist
Photo by Joe Lewis

SELECT WORKS: Cambridge Galleries Contemporary Canadian Textile Collection
March 17 – April 10, 2011Design at Riverside Cambridge Galleries

Angela Silver, Red Thread Book (detail), 2004  Shown in 2007 Selections From exhibition

Arounna Khounnoraj (Toronto, ON) "untitled" 2000, Salt and Copper wire.(approx 4' high)
This piece is part of the Cambridge Galleries permanent collection added in 2001
Gift of the Artist was part of FABRICation: Studio Production Textiles for Interiors, August 24 - October 24, 2010, Cambridge Galleries Design at Riverside.[photo: joe lewis]

Joy Walker 3  pieces of craft paper, creased.  2011

Chanced, new work by Joy Walker
Saturday, March 19 at 2:00pm - April 16 at 6:00pm
MKG127
127 Ossington Avenue
Toronto, ON

Coverlet, Uzbekistan, Late 19th century, L 232 cm x W 153 cm, T94.2013
Image provided by the Texile Museum of Canada.

Silk Oasis on the Silk Road: Bukhara
Curated by Natalia Nekrassova
Mar 23, 2011 - Sep 25, 2011

Bukhara features a collection of Central Asian ikats and embroidered silks — coats, veils, wall hangings and coverlets from the Textile Museum’s permanent collection — to visualize the Bukhara region’s rich textile history and place it within the diverse cultural traditions of Asia

Coat, Uzbekistan, Late 19th century, L 126 cm x W 145 cm Image provided by the Texile Museum of Canada

2011 One of a Kind Spring Show Toronto
March 30 - April 3
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

"For over 35 years, the One of a Kind Show has been helping artists and artisans from across the country to make a living out of their passion. We are not alone in our endeavours – this section celebrates the educational institutions and organizations of the Canadian art and craft community who work to teach, foster talent, grant opportunities, and increase exposure of the uniquely talented artists and artisans working today. Debuting at the 2011 Spring Show, the Craft Community of Canada section will feature 10 artists who have been nominated by one of Canada's leading arts &culture organizations."  One Of A Kind website

Featured in this section are the following textile  artisan with their sponsoring institution or organization .


Constructed 

Julie Pongrac  Hand knit lace bowlst. Material(s): Vine or Hanji paper embellished with glass beads and wire. Price: $85 - $495

Julie Pongrac Studio  Showing with Crafts Council of British Columbia
Booth: E-32
Duration: Full Show
www.gossamerwear.com
Vancouver, BC

Julie Pongrac, Vancouver, BC Master Knitter, Designer My life has never been without fibre. Knitting and sewing were life skills as important to thrift as managing a budget. An essential part of this notion of thrift was the use of quality fabrics and fibres to produce garments that would last the passage from one sibling to another. [from artist bio]

Assembled

Nicole McInnis Showing with Ryerson School of Fashion
Oh Dina!
Booth: E-40
www.ohdina.com
Hammonds Plains, NS

Oh Dina! was launched in 2008 while Nova Scotian designer Nicole McInnis was attending the fashion design program at Ryerson University. After studying millinery she fell in love with the art and began to create pieces that paid homage to the 40′s with a quirky twist.[from artist bio]

Printed as fashion

Georgina Russell, Hair Scarf , Swirling hair printed with bleach based ink on cotton.
Material(s): Cotton, bleach, Price: $60

Georgina Russell showing with Emily Carr University of Art & Design
Hand + Shadow
Booth: E-38
www.handandshadow.com
Vancouver, BC

Printed Textiles as Interior Decor 

Shuyu Lu Pillows Price: $50-$70

Shuyu Lu, Showing with the  Ontario Crafts Council
Booth: E-29
www.shuyulu.com
Toronto, ON

Caroline Gamiette reversible hand printed table lamp Material(s): silk 

Caroline Gamiette Showing with  Centre de Recherche et de Design en Impression Textile de Montreal
Fibre En Lumière
Booth: E-36
Montreal, QC

Born in the Caribbean, Caroline Gamiette has a nomadic soul. After spending her childhood in Guadeloupe, she lived in Europe and decided to settle down in North America ten years ago. Having received her diploma from the Applied Arts National Superior school Duperré in France. [from artist bio]

Cathia Finkel Table Setting with crow motif : Placemats and Napkins Material(s): Cotton Price: $40.00 2 Placemat and 2 Napkins

Cathia Finkel,  showing with  Anna Templeton Centre
A Line of Crows
Booth: E-3
blog, http://lineofcrows.blogspot.com
St. John's, NL


Cathia Finkel lives and creates in St. John's, NL. She graduated from College of the North Atlantic's Textiles: Craft and Apparel Design program in 2010, and is the emerging artist at the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft, Art & Design (funded by RBC) [from artist bio]

And Now For the Rest of the show

Lucille Crighton  Jacket in the 2008 Hall of Fame 

Among the "Raising Stars" and Makers returning to the show there are only two categorized/ identified as weavers. They are makers of place mats and table runners, Lyne Lévesque & Gérald Levesque of Tissage Magély Weaving [Booth: J-23]from New Brunswick and Elsa Brigden Elliott, of Silo Weaver [Booth: J-52]from St. Jacobs. Silo Weavers is a fixture  at the shows as is Hall of Fame artisan Lucille Crighton [Booth: F-04] is in the fashion category whose garments constructed from her hand woven cloth have a strong and continuing to grow clientele who come to the show  every couple of years to a new piece or two. A new artisan to the show is Marni Martin in [booth C-04] she is from Huntsville On. she is a hand weaver who does tapestry and fashion accessories.

Marni Martin "Into to Garden", 2010; hand-dyed cotton, rayon, silk, wool weft, cotton warp; tapestry technique; 32” x 26”

Marni Martin Hand dyed and woven scarves; silk and rayon

image provided by Marni Martin

Year after year while speaking with the artisans regardless of how they are categories if they work with textiles i ask about process not price. I am interest how they achieve the surface from which they make their end "product". Construction methods such as weaving felting and knitting seem obvious enough but what I now think of as assembled covers pieced quilts, re- purposing all ready constructed clothing  aka recycling, layered, applique, embroidered, beading, fusing, its a long list and doesn't included painting, dying or printing.

Nancy Yule, Journal Covers, assembled textile quilted, 

Nancy Yule [booth D-12] is a example of this type of work ( see Jewellery box at top of post and journal covers above so would Janna Roizenman (Edenwool) Booth: G-49 with fused felted super fine merino wool, alpaca on pure silk yardage. Chatherine Timms Quilter [Booth M-49] is back with her pieced work as is Hilary Cosgrove
[Booth: M-05] with another parliament of Owls and flock of birds made of men's wool suiting and bedding. 
  

Hilary Cosgrove [Booth: M-05]  Parliament of Owls at 2010 Cabbagetown Festival [photo by Joe Lewis]

 Susan Harris of Susan Harris Design [Booth: K-20] has been taking clothes apart and making new ones. Wendy Van Riesen of Dahlia Drive [Booth: K-29]  ".resurrecting the fashion wasteland Dahlia Drive salvages discarded slips, men's shirts, fabric and resurrects each piece with colour, images and embellishment to create one of a kind wearable art for the unique individual" both of these designers embellish their garments with prints

Susan Harris Design entered the One of A Kind Hall Of Fame in 2008

Dahlia Drive Lace Long black dress screened with a gigantic doily image. Material(s): nylon
Price: $225

Since I am looking at fashion and printing you will see a number of printed T-shirts in some case that is the main part of the business in others it is the starter pieces that lead into a range of printed fashion, accessories and decor items. Jennifer Neill & Valerie Neill of Judy Black [Booth: G-45] always has bright sharp multicoloured images of "pop" iconography. H er  "Acid Sunset "is a classic "Northern Landscape"  she has used it on t-shirt and pillow. Like the textiles designed by Thorn Hansen that were produced to support an idealized "Canadian Identity".hers celebrate a Rock and Roll attitude.  

Acid Sunset t=shirt and pillow by Judy Black

More Rock and Roll attitude comes from American T-shirt Designer Jason Laurits Paste [Booth: A-43] they are irreverent and equally offensive for both men and woman and kind of stupid I like what i saw on his website. Digitally design  and hand screen in Brooklyn he is invading Canada just as the One Of a Kind Show is invading America with a New York Show happening in November and Chicago show in December.

 Whales Hand-Silkscreened T-shirt by Jason Laurits, 100% Cotton, Made in the USA, Enzyme-washed for pre-shrinkage and soft, vintage feel Material(s): 100% Cotton T-shirt, Water-Base Paint Price: C$31 or 2 for C$50

 Printed Textile products abound at the show and this year furniture with printed upholstery is being presented by Emanuelle Dion & Isabelle Bergeron, Foutu Tissu, booth: K-33. who are graduates of the Centre de Recherche et de Design en Impression Textile de Montreal and where featured in fQ Volume 5 Issue 3 Fall 2009. The Textile Design and Printing Centre is part of CEGEP du Vieux-Montréal along with the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, teaches textile construction methods, weaving, felting and knitting. Graduate from the MCCT Marie-Pierre Daigle Booth: B-05 class of 2007 has brought a range of woven or knit scarfs  on the edge between the jewel and the utilitarian object, its scarfs marry bamboo fibres, merino wool and wool fleecemaking.

Websites and Other textile artisans at the show 
.

Marie Pierre Daigle
Booth: B-0
www.mpdaigle.com
Montreal, QC

Marni Martin weaver

Booth: C-04
www.marnimartinfibrestudio.com
Huntsville, ON

Gillian Woan quilts
Booth: C-04
Torrance, ON


Nancy Yule
Booth: D-12
www.nancyyule.com
Cambridge, ON

Cathia Finkel
A Line of Crows
Booth: E-37
blog, http://lineofcrows.blogspot.com

Katie Jung, during the 2010 Christmas show  I first came across the work of Katie Jung in the pages of Worn Fashion Journal - Issue no.7, it was a cover story on the collaboration between Katie Jung and Elif Saydam

Valérie Avondo
Zucchini
Booth: F-03

www.lezucchini.com
Pointe Claire, QC


Frédérique Satre
Miss Fred
Booth: G-43
Montreal, QC

Janna Roizenman (Edenwool)
Booth: G-49
www.edenwool.com
Toronto, ON

Jenna Fenwick
jenna rose
Booth: H-04
www.jennarose.ca
Hamilton, ON

Mary Lund
Silk By Mary Lund
Booth: I-35
Windsor, NS


Elena Savinovskaia
Elena's Felting
Booth: J-21
www.elenasfelting.ucoz.com
Kitchener, ON
 


Lyne Lévesque & Gérald Levesque
Tissage Magély Weaving
Booth: J-23
Drummond, NB

Arounna Khounnoraj &John Booth
bookhou
Booth: J-37
ww.bookhou.com
Toronto, ON

Elsa Brigden Elliott
Silo Weavers
Booth: J-52
www.siloweavers.ca
St. Jacobs, ON
  
Emanuelle Dion & Isabelle Bergeron
Foutu Tissu
Booth: K-33
www.foututissu.blogspot.com
Montreal, QC


Hilary Cosgrove
Booth: M-05
www.hilarycosgrove.com
Kingston, ON

Catherine Timm Ouilts

Booth: M-49
www.catherinetimm.com
Westmeath, ON

Ginette Barbe, Catherine Duplessis & Marc-André Duplessis
Sanibel Hats & Accessories
Booth: O-10

Montreal, QC

Lily Lam
D'Arbo Bags
Booth: O-27
w.d-arbo.com
Richmond Hill, ON

Sil Frebrian & Frankie Frebrian
Batavia By Sil
Booth: O-30

www.handmadebysil.com
Hamilton, ON


Izabela Sauer & Jacob Sauer

Alarte Silks
Booth: Q-41
www.alartesilks.com
Vancouver, BC

COMING SOON

Anna Torma, Universe 2 (detail). 2010. Vintage quilt, hand embroidery. Courtesy of the artist

Anna Torma: ENCYCLOPAEDIA DOMESTICA
April 2 – May 15, 2011
CAMBRIDGE GALLERIES QUEEN’S SQUARE
1 North Square Cambridge,
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 2 at 2:30 pm

Anna Torma’s textile art combines personal and formal elements with traditional hand-embroidery and stitching techniques producing complex images deeply rooted in culture and craft. Through layers of text and image amongst found and fabricated textiles the wall-hangings recall drawing and collage more than conventional embroidery.

WEBSITE: http://www.annatorma.com/

______________________________________________________________

Celebrate Japan: This is just a sampling of Japanese and Japanese influenced work I have seen in the past 7 years

Before telling you about what is coming up in the next few weeks I have to say the recent and ongoing event in Japan are foremost in my mine. If you have not made a donation to the Japanese relief efforts please make one now Donate online - Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami

Untitled work by Japanese weaver Mitsuko Akutsu,  from  2 X2 Montreal/ Tokyo exhibition in Montreal

Less then a month ago I was in Montreal to attend the opening of 2X2 Montreal/ Tokyo and to visit with the two Japanese weavers Mitsuko Akutsu, and  Emiko Nakano who are in this exhibition with Louise Lemieux Bérubé, and Julianna Joos. Both have been heard from and have survived. Mitsuko works at the Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College is located in the "fashionable" Aoyama district in the heart of Tokyo and Emiko is a former professor from Tokyo Zokei University Both of these school offer textile education and at this point we can only sit and wait to find out about there future.  

Zokie University Textile Blog  http://www3.atword.jp/zokei/ is still on line its last posting was March 12, I have visited it when looking for information about exhibition in Tokyo and even though I do not read or speak Japanese we know "a picture says a thousand words" or what ever the phrase is.

Emiko Nakano's jacquard "From Where to Where" 1 and 2

The Japan Foundation located at 131 Bloor Street West, Suite 213. Toronto, Ontario is one of my favourite exhibition spaces in Toronto and has brought young artist from Japan to Canada. Last fall the “Winter Garden: The Exploration of the Micropop Imagination in Contemporary Japanese Art”  struck me hard and I had to write about it. In 2007 they presented an exhibition of Canadian artist inspired by Japaneses textile and paper making traditions. fQ present the work from Found in Translation: Interpreting Elements of Japanese Design
curated by Arlene Gehring and featuring weaver dyers Judith Fielder and Nieves Carrasco who work with sshibori and sashiko two methods of resist dying.

The Sun” by Ryoko Aoki installation during "Winter Garden"  (photo taken with permission of Japan Foundation for fQ posting)

Japanese Textile and Fibre Traditions in Canada 

  

The influence of Japanese crafts is far reaching and world wide. I would just like to point out some of the exhibitions, events, makers, designers and artist working under the influence so to speak. that I have the opportunity to see, participate in and meet for the past six years of doing fibreQUARTERLY  

SHIBORI

Handwoven wool,shibori dyed, textured by Judith Fielder image provided by Arlene Gehring

Yvonne Wakabayashi, sea Anemone V, 2007, shibori sculpted silk was part of the exhibition Textile Arts of Canada April 15 – May 22, 2009, mounted to coincide with the launch of Telos Art Publishers latest number in their series # 19, Art Textiles of the World: Canada. at the MCCT photo:Joe Lewis

Yvonne Wakabayashi  a Japanese Canadian who as a small child was interred along with her family during WW2,  works in silk from a small family mill in the Gunma prefecture, Japan, in the Arashi shibori technique. Wakabayashi has developed her own style from this traditional technique. After folding, wrapping and stitching the silk, it has been inflated into sculptural forms rather than just fluffed/fanned out to expand on its own. She created a peaceful looking ‘creature’ made of silk using a mixture of hand manipulated, organic form.. You can read more about the exhibition and book in fQ Volume 5 Issue 2/ spring 2009

Yvonne Wakabayashi, Pina fibre seaforms (set of 2) on exhibit in fibreworks 2010 at Queen's Square Gallery in Cambridge

Mackenzie Frere Recollect 1, linen, turkey red, weft kasuri, five panels each 32 x 149 cm, 2008/2009 from "Lieux de memoire" exhibition curated by Denis Longchamps  for the third edition of the “Biennale international du lin de Portneuf .” 2009 [photo by Joe Lewis taken at Montreal showing June 9th -24th 2010, Maison de la culture Marie-Uguay,

Mackenzie Frere who is the person behind ART/CLOTH/TEXT blog and on-line gallery POPLAR he teaches at ACAD University is a weaver and dyer who has been exploring Japanese dyeing methods like Kasuri.[tied resist] He spent time in Japan last spring with co worker Bill Morton visiting Arimatsu, a town known for shibori [among other places].  Bill Morton, is a master of traditional Japanese fabric dyeing techniques, having worked for a decade at the Kunio Isa Textile Studio, in Kyoto, Japan. Kyoto is highly regarded for maintaining traditional textile techniques.

If you want to find out more about Shibori visit the World Shibori Network

WASHI

In June of 2008 the World Washi Summit occurred with over 35 exhibitions across and around Toronto "Washi Over Time" exhibit at the Japan Foundation gave an historical over view as a base to the other exhibition. Organized by Nancy Jacobi from the Japanese Paper Place whose dedication to traditional Japanese paper making process brought 3 makers from Japan:  Hiroshi Tamura from Ino- machi in Kochi Perfecture, Hiroaki Imai from the Niigata Prefecture and Shinji Hayashi from Kurotani, to show them how artist from different parts of the world used their paper.

Historical Illustration and photograph of  the continuum (images provided by organizer)

 "On Saturday June 14th 2008 at the Japan Foundation during the final panel discussion the reality of this summit hit home. The exhibitions of the Washi World Summit provided a visual adventure, however, the presence of washi remained constant but undefined. During the Summit the creation of washi was demonstrated, and its usage in a variety of media by a number of artists was explored, but it wasn’t until the paper makers themselves spoke at the wrap up of what the event meant to them that all became clear. Earlier that week at the Textile Museum Hiroko Karuno during her talk about Shifu (paper weaving) said there were 10 people in Japan practising Shifu, on Saturday night one of the paper makers from Japan Shinji Hayashi said when he came to Kurotani 12 years ago, a village with the longest consecutive history of paper making had 30 households involved in paper making; now there are just 3." this if from my post Naming the Maker: washi world summit wrap up

The  Washi Seen Blog  keep a running journal of exhibition and workshops as the happened and provide a good overview of the summit activities the World Washi Summit Website has not been maintained and is no longer up but the archive on the Japanese Paper Place can provide more information of the event and the subsequent exhibitions.   .
sites of interest:

Kochi where paper maker Hiroshi Tamura is from is  the largest prefecture of the four on Shikoku Island. The Japanese Paper Museum in Ino is from  is devoted to documenting this artform, and also sells an array of beautiful paper products.There is a regional /municipal site that is bilingual http://www.pref.kochi.lg.jp/soshiki/english/ and the museums site is Japanese only Japanese Paper Museum

Niigata Prefecture where paper maker Hiroaki Imai is from is located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan.There regional bilingual site is http://www.pref.niigata.lg.jp/

Kurotani is where paper maker Shinji Hayashi is from i found 2 sites  Kurotani Washi and Kurotani Japanese Paper Hall

FASHION, Art and life 

Woven Jacket by Mildred Avendano: cotton warp, hand spun paper weft,
on display at Kozo Studio 257 Broadview Avenue part of the World Washi Summit 2008

Art Gallery of Hamilton
123 King St W, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru, May 10 to September 1, 2008, Organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, curated by Barry Till

"This internationally successful touring exhibition presents a lavish array of more than twenty kimonos of one of the most famous geisha of 20th-century Japan: Ichimaru (1906–1997). From a life of rural poverty, the adolescent Ichimaru began as a low-rank geisha, and blossomed into one of the most revered and elegant geisha, known to possess the singing voice of a nightingale. Signing as a singer with Victor Recording in 1931, Ichimaru soon left the geisha world, becoming a full-time diva and one of her country’s national treasures. In her lifetime, therefore, the exceptional Ichimaru was a major figure of both the centuries-old Japanese geisha tradition, and the modern, Western phenomenon of popular recording star.

As a singer Ichimaru promoted traditional Japanese music and folk melodies, and continued the geisha tradition of elegant, stylish dress. Alongside Ichimaru’s kimonos, the exhibition includes several related objects, portraits, and publicity photographs of this renowned geisha-cum-diva. "

This is from the press release issued by the gallery. I found out about this exhibition while watching OMNI TV it was on a public service announcement about local 'ethnic" events. I got in touch with the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Once I got to the show the other exhibition were brilliant. 

Great New Wave: Contemporary Art from Japan, May 22 to September 7, 2008 , Co-presented by the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Curated by Sara Knelman and Lisa Baldissera

The textile work Sayaka Akiyama who has created large-scale mapping projects is included in this exhibition. You will see an exquisite earlier work of hers in the entrance foyer, from a residency at the Mori Art Centre in the Roppongi neighbourhood of Tokyo . For this show, she did a 5-week residency in Hamilton two related pieces – a diary project consisting of 14 intimate works that incorporate textile techniques and materials with hand made paper (all made on site, using local materials) and a large map project relating her journeys and experiences in Hamilton.

To read about this body of work and see other images  "The Story of a Walk Told with a Needle "An interview with Sayaka Akiyama.by  James Jack published in the Tokyo Art Beat 2009-07-28.

you can also read Leah Sandals interview with Sarah Knelman posted on Thursday, July 31, 2008 Interview: Sara Knelman on "Great New Wave: Contemporary Art from Japan"

There are catalogues for these two exhibition co produce with the Art Gallery of Greater Greater Victoria available throught the Galleries or ABC ART BOOKS Canada  

November 19th 2008, this is an Issey Miyake on loan from Adrian Clarkson opening of The Cutting Edge curated by Patrica Bentley at the Textile Museum of Canada featuring contemporary and historical garments on lone and from the museum's permanent collection.[photo taken by Joe Lewis with permission of TMC}

Textile Museum of Canada The Cutting Edge curated by Patricia Bentley, Nov 12, 2008 - Jul 7, 2009

Methods used to wrap two-dimensional textiles onto the body change and adapt in response to society's needs and cultural preferences. The Cutting Edge will examine the simplest methods for dressing the human form and will trace the development of ever more complex garments through to the twenty-first century.

Miwa Yanagi was part of Great New Wave: Contemporary Art from Japan,  at the AGH 2008

 This is just a sampling of Japanese and Japanese influenced work I have seen in the past 7 years

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