Kristin Tinsa Saeterdal

Kristin Tinsa Saeterdal combines the immediacy of pop art style imagery with the discipline and patience of tapestry weaving. Exploring themes in the modern psyche such as computer games and science fiction, and environmental problems like space debris and garbage, she creates large vibrant woven canvases that comment on aspects of how we live today.

What are your first memories of textiles?

My Grandmother took me to the National Arts & Craft museum for a large retrospective exhibition of Tapestry artist Frida Hansen. This was when I was about ten, and I was totally fascinated by her work in the Art Nouveau style. The very romantic style with roses, medieval knights and princesses, went straight into the heart of a 10-year-old girl. My grandmother was otherwise also a great inspiration, she was an amateur painter not a very good one, but she could say things to me like: It is not only the colour in itself, you know, it is also how much there is of it. I grew up in a family of Architects, with Scandinavian style furniture, Abstract American Artists and Marimekko clothes.

How did you learn about tapestry?

My first encounter with Tapestry was when I was 16, I went to a Waldorf school, where they focus on balancing the head, hand and the heart, so craft was perhaps more valued than in society in general. I was hooked from the first minute and I took the loom home with me to finish it for the next lesson the week after. But at that time I did not consider this to be a profession. When I was 18 I started Architecture school and worked as an architect for some years. I had a break from work when my child was ill, and I started a two-year tapestry course at OsloMet university. Unfortunately, that was the last year they ran this education course in Norway.

What themes do you explore through your art?

Technology, and how it changes the way we live interests me. I am fascinated by how virtual and real life is connected. Also just to compose images with light and colour interests me a lot. In my recent work I have been engaged in environmental problems like Space debris and the problem of garbage connected to consumerism.

How has your work evolved over time?

I started with more abstract and conceptual work; I was not in for the Narrative style that I saw was coming. But that has changed. I am still interested in the border between figure and abstraction, and now when I make more architectural rooms in tapestry, I think about by background as Architect, and the wish to weave surroundings for the viewer to be captured by. I still use the traditional tapestry technique, but I have made variations in how I present them for instance by using old computer screens as frames. 

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in popular culture, science fiction films, and science news. But I look at these things from an artist’s point of view, not a scientist. I used to look at the TV-screen when my kids were gaming, just looking at the images, not following the quest at all, just letting the visual images into my brain. Nowadays I find inspiration in my near surroundings in addition to internet.

Where do you work?

I have a studio provided by The Oslo Municipality at a cheap rent. It is in the middle of a graveyard, and that is where I have my big loom. We are eight artists there and has a good community. Sometimes I go to my family’s summerhouse alone, off-season to do my designs and develop drawings for new tapestries. I often do my administrative work and writing at home in bed in the mornings.

How do you design a tapestry?

I take a long time to work out the idea or a design for a tapestry. Often the drawing is left to mature for a year or longer. I keep an inspiration-folder on my computer and I often find images there that still interest me and that both feels timeless and describing a current situation at the same time. When I am ready to start a new tapestry, I choose an image to develop further. I use pencil, paper and software in a mix, and get it printed out in scale in a simple black and white line drawing. I dye the yarn to match the design, but sometimes the yarn I have also can change the design, for instance in The Dump, I mostly use left over yarns. I use yarn from old Norwegian sheep; it is hard spun to make the light-reflecting surface of the tapestry.

I read that Blue Control room took you 400 hours. Do you do other smaller projects at the same time or just focus on one?

I sometimes do small work in between the large ones, like the Discarded-series, but usually I focus on the one a have in my big loom. I have a goal of a how many weaving-hours I need to do every week, because I often try to make the tapestry as big as possible in the time I have until the exhibition. The rest of the time I organise my exhibitions, apply for support, and other tasks connected to my artistic practise. I often use the weekends to complete the required hours at the loom to keep up with the schedule to finish in time for the exhibition. There are no short cuts in tapestry.

I notice you sew in your ends as you weave. Why do you do this?

Yes, that is right I do that as I weave along because then I have the tension on the warp so that makes it easier I think. I often exhibit my work hanging in the room so both sides of the tapestry are visible. When I do a commission or other work that I know only will be shown from one side I do not sew in the ends at all. The fabric should be dense enough so it is not a problem.  I use the side of the tapestry that I see when I weave as the front. In the Gobelin factory they do the opposite: the side that they see are the back of the finished tapestry and they use a mirror to see the other side that will become the front as the work is finished.

Tapestry seems to be more popular in Norway than many other countries, is this true and why?

In Norway we are very proud of our long tradition of tapestry. We never had aristocracy in Norway that produced Gobelins with coats of arms in workshops where men were weavers. Women made tapestries themselves on the richer farms from about 1600^th century. Tapestry was a part of creating a national identity when Norway became an independent nation in 1905. Tapestries designed by Gerhard Munthe, with Vikings and Trolls and images from folk-tales were part of a style that became Norwegian style. Heroic tapestries from the workers movement later in the 20th century also continued this tradition. Hannah Ryggen with her political tapestries still is a role model for artists today. In the 70-ties women-activist-artists were using tapestries and textiles in Norway to express themselves strongly and freely, as part of the feminist movement. We have a good website with resources for this theme www.absolutetapestry.com

Do you have any advice for people who want to be textile artists?

Keep on doing what you love, fight your inner critic and try to survive financially.