Friday Fibers Roundup: Practice and Process

December 15, 2017

This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup looks at the behind-the-scenes ways artists, craftspeople, and designers create their work.

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1) “The Invention of Modern Color: Synthetic Dyes” is Susan Clark’s recent TED Talk where she explores the origins of where our synthetic dyes came from (via Explore Fiber).

2) South African artist Marsi van de Heuvel creates stunning works that look they could almost be embroidery, but as it turns out, are made completely with fineliner pens (via The Jealous Curator).

3) “Loy Bowlin: Mississippi’s Real Life Rhinestone Cowboy” by Bobbie Jean Sawyer examines the life of Bowlin and how he came to create his glittering palace, which he decked out with his signature rhinestones (Wide Open Country).

4) Introduced this month, “Art Oracles: Creative & Life Inspiration from Great Artists” is a card set with an artist’s illustrated portrait alongside poetic, pithy tidbits of advice inspired by their lives, artworks, and personalities (via Artsy).

5) Thinking about getting a tattoo? Consider one of these embroidered inspired ones.

6) “How to Declutter Your Studio for Maximum Creativity, According to Marie Kondo” by Ariela Gittlen looks at how to work creatively amid chaos that usually surrounds one’s studio (via Artsy).

7) This tutorial by Rebecca Mezoff teaches you how to professionally mount small tapestries for gallery installation.

8) “X-Rays of Degas Sculptures Illuminate His Unconventional Process” by Claire Voon shows the conservation process at the Fitzwilliam Museum and what objects were used to create the armatures of 3 surviving beeswax sculptures (via Hyperallergic).

9) “Why Are So Many Artists Making Work That Lies on the Floor?” by Christine Smallwood explores the emerging trend in contemporary installation techniques (via New York Times).

10) Carol Milne’s mind-bending works are the perfect blend of textiles and glass: lost wax casting to create knitted work in glass that push the material to its limits (via The Jealous Curator).