Blog - Textile Curator

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May 27, 2021 In Photography, Textile Art

Tips for photographing textile art by Becca Barolli

One of the easiest way to get your art work ‘out there,’ is through social media, but making your work look as good on a screen as it does in reality can be tricky. American artist Becca Barolli has such a beautiful way of presenting her work I asked her to give some tips.

About Becca Barolli

I was born and raised in Connecticut and am currently based in the Bay Area. I moved out here to attend graduate school at the San Francisco Art Institute working primarily in sculpture. Before that I completed a BFA in Photography from the University of Connecticut.

My sculptural work has always been heavily rooted in textiles. The techniques I use most frequently are knotless netting, braiding and hand tied latch hook knots except I use steel wire instead of traditional fibers. For the past few years I’ve also been doing antique rug restoration, so I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned from that into my art practice by incorporating techniques like twining and setting up foundation structures.

Recently I’ve been learning how to anodize aluminum wire, which is a process that uses electricity to prepare the wire to then be dyed. I’m really excited about this process because it not only provides a way for me to introduce color to my work, but it feels very similar to the process of dyeing fibers.

I use these techniques to make abstract sculptures that focus mainly on obsession while embracing both a desire for control and an acceptance of chaos. For the piece First Born Son, I was thinking about the expectations people sometimes have for this prized position. The term “golden child” kept coming to mind, which is a role associated with the narcissist family system that refers to a child that is essentially favored and attributed to success. The foundation of braids in this piece start breaking off as the twining continues across. To me this signifies the burden of impossible expectations as well as a need to hold things together and press on despite perceived failures, but the beauty of abstract art is that the viewer will always add their own interpretations and meaning to the work.

5 tips for photographing artwork:

Lighting and focus are your main priorities.

You want to try to get even lighting and a good exposure with everything in focus so you have great portfolio images. I use AlienBees strobe lights with soft boxes to light my work. Having a lot of available light makes it possible to shoot at a higher f/stop so you can get as much in focus as possible.

Colour correct your images.

You always want to set your white balance for every different lighting situation you are in. I shoot in RAW and take a photo of a WhiBal reference card for each lighting scenario so I can easily adjust the color accurately.

Take more photos than necessary.

When you’re documenting artwork for a portfolio or exhibition application, typically you will want one image that shows the piece clearly in its entirety. I suggest taking this photo at least a few times so you can sort through them afterward and select the one that turned out the best. I also highly recommend taking detail photographs even though you may not always get to use them for applications. Gorgeous detail shots can be used for social media, business cards, show fliers, art books, the list goes on. Especially if your work is 3D, tactile or very intricate, these images provide a lot of information for someone who is unable to see it in person.

Clean up your images.

Once you’ve selected your strongest images, clean up any distractions they might have like marks on the wall or scuffs on the floor. I use a combination of the spot healing brush, patch tool and clone stamp in Photoshop to remove anything that might detract focus from the work.

Bad photos are better than no photos.

Documenting artwork is hard, especially if you’re new to this process. I’ve been photographing my work for over a decade and still think there are so many areas where I could improve. I understand not being able to afford hiring a professional photographer and truly believe that you’ll see and learn more about your work by photographing it yourself. Sometimes you may need to reshoot a piece completely because you just didn’t get a good image and that’s better in the long run because you will learn something new from the process every time you try.

You can see more of Becca’s work at https://www.instagram.com/beccabarolli/

You can also read more photography tips from photographer Katie Vandyck here https://www.textilecurator.com/tips-to-photograph-textile-art/

May 25, 2021 In Art, Textile Art

Ailish Henderson

British Textile Artist Ailish Henderson had her hand stitched collage ‘Pistachio Smiles’ translated into a silk scarf. Here is her interesting story behind her work.

“This piece of the artist’s work, quietly questions the impact events experienced have on our ongoing narrative line. Strong memories built in childhood may only come to light decades later, where they can take on new meaning and finally be understood. Due to the artists localised interest in the portrayal of mending, in this portrait there is an underlying vie for, specifically repair within the humanistic emotional context. When married together, this is transposed via the techniques and materials employed. Irish linen as a ‘canvas’ and foundation to work upon, has been sourced and used to give a nod to her heritage, whilst etching techniques and watercolours mixed with the tactile are reminiscent of her lost grandmothers links with the Fine Arts. Using familial ideography juxtaposed with these and other treasured materials; a cross-discipline approach is employed. The artist here vocalises her most personal question to date, how to ‘mend the maker’. It is her belief that across creative disciplines, there can be a form of restoration for the author of works, brought about via the act of making, not the outcome itself.”

Photography by Sean Elliot http://seanelliottphotography.co.uk

See more of Ailish’s work at http://www.ailishhenderson.com

May 13, 2021 In Art, Textile Art

Student Showcase – MFA Textiles Program at Parsons

I talk a lot about the diversity of textiles as a genre and it’s no where more apparent than students work at university. The creativity that comes out of courses is brilliant so I thought it was time to showcase some students work. These students are studying the two year MFA Textiles program at The New School Parsons in NYC.

All of these students are graduating this week apart from Jongbum Kim who is in his first year. They all have lots of information about their work but instead of me explaining it contact them directly if you want to find out more. I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

Artists from top:

Jongbum Kim https://www.instagram.com/jongbum.bongba.kim/

Chuyi Sun https://www.instagram.com/chuyisun24/

Hongci Hu https://www.instagram.com/hongcihu/

Jing Li Bista https://www.instagram.com/jinglibista/

Licca Hsiao https://www.instagram.com/liccatextile/

Liz Sandler https://www.instagram.com/liz.sandler/

May 4, 2021 In Art, Textile Art

Janine Heschl’s top tips for realism in thread

Janine Heschl’s 3 tips for creating realism with thread

Janine Heschl a.k.a Textile Wildlife Art’s portraits of endangered animals are so realistic it’s easy to mistake them for photographs. She kindly shared three tips for improving the realism in your own work. You can read Janine’s full interview here and also do check out her website to see more of her work https://www.textilewildlifeart.com

1)Trust your eyes

When zooming into a nose of a tiger, you expect to discover several shades of pinks and rose tones, but you may also find dark lilac or hues of blue or a hint or light green in a reflection. Don’t go by what your brain tells you about tiger noses, but what your eyes pick up and be courageous enough to trust that! Adding that light green thread may be that exact detail it needed to create depth. Which leads me to the next tip:

2) Zoom in

Working from a reference photo will allow you, depending on the resolution, to really zoom into your subject. Take the time to familiarise yourself with the patterns, structures, fur growth directions, colours blending into each other… study your subject in the tiniest detail and then translate it into thread. Add that extra layer of highlights, even if it is just 3 single stitches. Add that turquoise dot in the reflection of the eye.

It takes practice to pick up the smallest features and characteristics, but it will make all the difference in the end. Which again leads me to the next tip

3) Bring patience and passion to the party

Working on realism is time consuming and sometimes tedious. You can get trapped in details and forget to pay attention to the bigger picture, which eventually will become your masterpiece. So it is important in the beginning to be patient with yourself, to pace yourself and to pick a subject that you are passionate about, to make the joy last for the entire process. Pick an animal you are passionate about, then pick your favorite feature of it – an eye, the nose, fur pattern or feathers, and then focus on that selection. Don’t start a full lion embroidery, but scale down and start teaching your eyes to pick colours from the reference and find that colour in your thread collection. This also makes a fantastic excuse for buying more thread, if you were looking for one.

By working on something you feel you have a connection with, you will be able to keep yourself motivated and interested, being able to push through more difficult areas and learning as much as possible. It won’t leave you overwhelmed but empowered in the end.

April 23, 2021 In Textile Art

Covid Nomad by Keren Lowell

Textile artist Keren Lowell moved from Alaska to Colorado at the beginning of the pandemic. Before she moved she shed most of her personal possessions. Like most of us she had time to reflect, and she listed all of the places she had lived through her life which reached over forty. She then revisited her memories going through letters, maps of her travels,photographs and asking her parents about stories from her childhood and put these into her project.

“I can’t travel and move around physically during this time of relative isolation and social distancing, but I have been nomadically traveling through these memories, journals, photographs, maps and stories from my parents and siblings.”

Sewn from remnants from a number of sources including her sister’s wedding dress, she also included a large abstract map of everywhere she had travelled and lived.

Covid Nomad was exhibited as part of ‘Fragile Domestic,’ at the Bunnell Street Art Center

and you can find out more about Keren in the interview I did with her a few years ago here

March 4, 2021 In Art, Textile Art

Calling all Tapestry Weavers

Tapestries Year One and Urban Scenes – High Rise by Matty Smith

“Putting tapestry on the walls of ordinary homes, not just stately homes.”

Heallreaf Post is a lovely exhibition held in Chichester, UK that exhibits postcard sized tapestries for sale. It is open to all tapestry artists and is free to enter but all pieces must be available to purchase. The criteria is as follows:

Art work must be weft faced or predominantly weft faced,

Landcape orientation

12.7 x 17.8 cms

The deadline for submissions is June 1st 2021. For more details and information on how to submit your work visit http://www.heallreaf.com/post

October 29, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

Matthew Larson’s exhibition

Textile Art comes in many different forms and American artist Matthew Larson uses a technique we haven’t seen before on Textile Curator.

Although his beautifully details pieces look woven they are in fact created by aligning strands of yarn onto velcro. This painstaking process results in an optical illusion effect as the fibres of the acrylic yarns reflect the light differently making some of the colours visually recede or protrude. You can see more of Matt’s work at the Rule Gallery in Denver until November 7th.

https://rulegallery.com

https://www.matthew-larson.com

October 16, 2020 In Textile Art

Brita Been’s latest exhibition

Norwegian tapestry artist Brita Been is one of the most popular artist’s I’ve featured on the website so I thought you’d like to have a look at her new exhibition at the Risør Kunstpark gallery. Click on each image to see a larger version. If you are unfamiliar with Brita’s work check out her profile here https://www.textilecurator.com/home-default/home-2-2/britabeen/ or visit http://www.britabeen.no

August 21, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

Woven Stories

The collection of fabrics so far for Woven Stories.

Australian textile artist Angela McIntosh is now based in Canada, and like many artists she wasn’t able to access her studio during the lock down. Wanting to do something positive during the pandemic she developed a collective project called Woven Stories. “In essence I am asking people to reconnect with memories that are held within the comfort of cloth and then I am bringing together and celebrating these memories and connections with other contributors,” she explains.

To take part you need to submit a photo and short narrative of why the fabric is important to you. To date the project comprises of a wide range of fabrics from all over the world including a wedding dress, an Afghan thrown and a vintage quilt. Once the digital project has closed, Angela will transform the images into a physical artwork, with the aim of exhibiting the digital contributions in tandem with the physical translation. The website will remain as a record and repository for people to visit. To find out more, or to read the fascinating memories behind the fabrics that are already included visit https://angela-mcintosh.ca/works/woven-stories

August 14, 2020 In Art, Textile Art

An interview with Surface Design Association

Above: Surface Design Association logo and SDA member Holly Wong, Bia II, 2020

Being a Textile / Fiber Artist isn’t always easy. You often have to battle the misconception that Textile Art isn’t Fine Art, and especially after Covid there aren’t always a huge amount of spaces to exhibit. That is why I’m always keen to feature organisations that help textile artists. One particular organisation I discovered is the SDA or the Surface Design Association. Although it is based in the United States it is open to all textile artists and I recently interviewed the Executive Director, Karena Bennet to find out more.

What is the SDA?

SDA is an international organisation founded in 1977 to promote textile art through publications, exhibitions, workshops, and conferences. The SDA community is truly expansive. We have thousands of members from 40 countries around the world. Our goal is to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, opportunities for learning and collaboration, and to encourage critical dialogue. At the heart of SDA is our quarterly publication, Surface Design Journal, which is international in scope and brings an array of concepts, processes, and materials to readers.

What are the advantages for textile / fiber artists that join?

Membership includes a range of benefits and we’re always finding new ways to strengthen these offerings. We work really hard to support our members by:

Providing opportunities for learning and meaningful collaboration
Mentoring emerging and established artists
Informing members about the latest developments in the field of fiber arts
Recognising the accomplishments of members
Encouraging critical dialogue about fiber art
Inspiring new directions in fiber and textiles
Raising the visibility of fibers and textile media in the contemporary art world.

Do you cover all genres of fiber / textile art?

Yes! SDA’s goal is to showcases the breadth and depth of contemporary artists and designers working with or inspired by fiber art and/or textile-based materials, methods, and techniques. Many of our members and contributors work in 2D and 3D, but we’re also interested in time-based media, performance, or conceptual work.

Who can apply? Do they have to live in North America?

We welcome members from all over the world. Currently, we have members in 40 countries. All of our member benefits are open to international members including grants and awards. We’ve also designed certain opportunities to eliminate barriers to participation for members outside of the U.S. For example, our International Exhibition in Print is the focus of one Journal each year. It’s a wonderful opportunity for artists to showcase their work without incurring massive shipping expenses or limiting who can see it. The Journal almost always has some international articles. In December, with the support of Creative New Zealand, we’ll be publishing a Journal that is fully focused on New Zealand and will highlight SDA members there as well as other exciting artists, scholars and organisations working in fiber.

What is a premium member?

Our Premium Membership is designed to give artists opportunities for more exposure. At the premium level, folks are able to upload 10 images to our Member Directory (as opposed to 3 for other member levels). All premium member work also appears in our Premium Gallery, which is a fun way to explore the work SDA artists. We draw from our premium membership for our Online Exhibitions and Member Spotlights that appear on our blog and social media.

Is there anything you would like to add?

While we are a membership-based organisation, we think the wider SDA community in much broader terms. There are great opportunities and a lot to explore for non-members as well. We’re always looking for opportunities for partnerships, collaboration, and to connect with new artists. We are really a community that embraces a diversity of ideas, techniques and media!

www.surfacedesign.org