New Home

'New Home' is made in memorial to Bellingham, my education in fiber arts, and my interest in geology. This is an Ikat weaving technique, which uses binding to create resist patterns. Ikat originates from Southeast Asia and is a deeply traditional and ancient technique. In my experience, this technique is process oriented, often requiring the artist to work towards an idea, rather than a specific, thoroughly planned out vision for the final product. Using Indigo and Osage natural dyes, I was able to achieve vibrant blues and greens to represent the elevation gradient of Whatcom County. I explored my initial reluctance in an academic space to engage with science, and found that both in subject matter and in practice, this process is an experiment and highly scientific. From the reactions of the natural dyes to their environment and the other chemicals, to the research involved to create a topographical design, I was able to engage critically with the scientific nature of the art and the process of making. [Images of the project are included with this listing as supplementary files.]