weaving on
Musings on art, artists, and craftspeople are endless. What, when and where we do our work and why. The process. The goals. It is different for every person but usually there are several common reasons - the personal need to create, coupled with the need to make a living, along with the desire to improve and reach a pinnacle in the work you are doing. Which is generally followed by reaching for other heights. I suspect it is similar in that regard to the athletes in the Olympic Games going on now in Paris. Every single athlete is reaching for a goal and achieving it in astounding ways. With artists, it is quieter and sometimes more solitary. But the work continues. As is the case with Fred's weaving. People frequently ask "How long does it takes to weave a rug?" It varies with each piece and the technicality of it. But he usually weaves roughly six hours every day on his trusty and well-worn Rio Grande style walking loom. As in any art, including photography, he learns something every single time he stands at the loom, with his brain absorbing the information while contemplating the next piece. It is up to me to capture his work for social media and his portfolio.
Rug 409, is a particularly complex rug, involving design, geometry, and architecture or engineering. As you can see in the top of the image below, he starts on the drafting table drawing the design before proceeding to the loom. It will probably take a month to complete.
Although at first glance, a viewer might think it is either Aztec or Mayan in feel, but it really is a Celtic knot of his own design.
Rug 408 is a blend of Southwestern themes, as well as elements of the arts and crafts movement.
Rug 407, with its flattened triangles (which in Navajo weaving represent "K'os Yisheh" or cloud terraces) is bold and dramatic.
The rugs above are made of 100% Navajo-Churro wool, both warp and weft. All three of these rugs will be among 18 Fred will feature in his booth at the Santa Fe Wool Festival, Saturday and Sunday, October 5 & 6 at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds.
Thanks to Fred for continuing to create and carry on traditional weaving. And thanks to Connie, Gustavo, TTT, Jean & Sam, Steve, Catherine, and Marilyn G. for commenting last week.
until next Monday,
DB
a passion for the image©
Comments
Every new rug seems more handsome than the last it seems to me. I'm taken by image one which tells so much of the story, from design on paper, to the wool and rug in progress.
You've captured rug #409 beautifully.