My Work, and The History of Ikat

摘要

It wasn't until the decades after World War II that"the art world began to accept the use of traditional craft materials and forms for the creation of nonfunctional works,in effect,blurring the distinction between decorative and fine art."This statement was made by Ira Jacknis in the essay "The Lure of the Exotic: Ethnic Arts and the Design Department at UC Berkeley",Chronicles of the University of California,Spring 2004,pp.37-74.C.Edmund Rossbach came to UC Berkeley in 1950to teach weaving.Rossbach's aesthetic emphasized the influence of ethnic art in the US.He argued that ethnic designs were adapted to the modern spirit and aesthetic sensibility by changes to scale and color.(Fig.1) His students,Joanne Brandford,Anne Wilson and many more,developed these concepts.Trudy Guermonprez,at the California College of Art and Crafts,was also influential in this line of thought.She introduced Bauhaus elements she contacted at the Black Mountain School to the theory and practice of textiles.This Berkeley area legacy continues to influence textile art today.Independently,at the University of Kansas,Cynthia Schira developed her own style and following.I was fortunate to study with a student of Rossbach's,Sandra Harner.She introduced me to ikat and I was entranced.I am dedicated to erasing the art/craft hierarchy in the present day art world,using all tools,high and/or low tech,to realize my images.Imagination and creative relation to material and process are the defining elements in the use of digital or non-digital technology in shaping the outcome the artist desires.