The process of making my documentary BLUE ALCHEMY: STORIES OF INDIGO was like traveling down a very long road and finally arriving at a marvelous place.

Actually, I traveled down many roads during the production process. The journeys took me to India, Mexico, Japan, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Nigeria, the UK, and 3 American states in search of indigo.

I wanted to show what indigo is, how it works, its celebrated but dark history – and how it is being used today.

Here are a few stories from my journey:

December, 2005: We arrived in Miyama, a village deep in the hills of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, to visit the studio of textile artist and indigo master Hiroyuki Shindo. This was the first major shoot for BLUE ALCHEMY, but also the culmination of a long-held wish to film Shindo-san and his work. I felt that it would be one of the essential elements of the documentary. The time we spent there could not have been more rewarding.

Shindo-san had carefully planned a way to shoot the process of making a traditional Japanese indigo dye vat.

In the documentary, he explains each step engagingly, right down to pouring in half a bottle of sake to aid fermentation.

He was in the midst of a big shibori project at the time. To aid in the making of 100 cotton kimonos, he had built a winch that wound the fabric tightly around a drum – leaving his hands free to work the pattern. We filmed the gorgeous textile that resulted, along with some previous work he created by pouring indigo in huge pools, along with his signature “Shindigo balls.”

August 2007: We drove from Puebla, Mexico into the highlands with the textile artist Manuela Cecilia Lino, her daughter Cecilia Jaimes Lino and their friend Carmen. I had met Cecilia a year earlier at the UNESCO symposium on natural dyes in India and for many weeks we’d been juggling schedules to find a time when we could film the process of indigo dyeing that is particular to their village. At the symposium, I had attended a lecture by the Spanish scholar Ana Roquero about their process, which uses agua de simiente, a solution left from a previous indigo vat, to complement the fermentation. I was delighted that the Lino family had welcomed us to their home and studio.

Over the next few days, we rose each morning before dawn and filmed the steps of the process as Cecilia made and nurtured the indigo vat. The wood fire under the vat was smoky and as the studio filled with smoke I squinted into the viewfinder through tears. The magic of indigo was palpable as the contents of the vat fermented and bubbled.

October, 2007: Another long road led to Bangladesh, where we filmed at Aranya, the fair-trade organization founded by the amazing Ruby Ghuznavi, a passionate advocate for natural dyes and the sustainability of traditional Bengali textile techniques such as jamdani weaving and kantha embroidery. She was also instrumental in reviving indigo dye-making in Bangladesh. We filmed artists working in kantha, block printing wax resist and block printing with indigo on silk.

The next day, we traveled overland for 8 hours to shoot at a project that was reviving the making of indigo dyestuff after many decades.

January, 2010: We had flown from New Mexico to Nigeria and after a night in Lagos, rose early and were driven for several hours to the outskirts of Oshogbo.

We arrived at the Nike Centre for Art and Culture to discover that some of their most experienced indigo dyers had assembled to demonstrate Yoruban adire textile techniques and indigo dyeing. Over the next several days, we filmed the intricate processes of tie-dye, cassava-paste resist, and dyeing in vats made from elu, (Lonchocarpus cyanescens), the indigo plant that grows plentifully in Nigeria.

April 2011: We completed BLUE ALCHEMY, which has been making its own way around the world.

BLUE ALCHEMY: STORIES OF INDIGO is available for purchase at www.bluealchemyindigo.com

It will also be available at SDA Conference (Pop-Up Style) Bookstore during in•ter•face conference June 6-9, 2013, in San Antonio, Texas. Find out more about that event at www.surfacedesign.org/subpage/sda-conference-bookstore

Preview the trailer at vimeo.com/24131498#

You can “like” and follow new adventures in indigo via Blue Alchemy Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BlueAlchemyStoriesOfIndigo

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Mary Lance is an award-winning filmmaker (and new SDA member) with over 30 years experience in documentary production. Her other independent documentaries include Agnes Martin: With My Back to the World (2002), Diego Rivera: I Paint What I See (1989), and Artists at Work: A Film on the New Deal Art Projects (1981).

Her films have been widely distributed in the USA and abroad and have won numerous awards.

Lance is currently working with additional BLUE ALCHEMY footage to create new programs.

The fields of smart textiles and material science have grown exponentially over the past decade.

As we struggle to deal with the excesses of human consumption and pollution, scientists and designers have focused on finding more environmentally friendly and energy efficient ways of making the materials we use in daily life.

This issue features the work of many artists for whom science provides endless creative inspiration.

Find related links to this issue’s profiles and features below:

The Future of Textiles

by Lynne Bruning

For those combining electronics and textiles, computers and fibers, the push forward has been especially challenging because the two mediums are rooted in vastly different materials, languages, and tools. The following artists are blazing the path in fusing technology with textiles.

Lynne Bruning’s eTextile Lounge

Erin Lewis Kohei Tsuji

Kristi Kuusk

Anouk Wipprecht, Daniel Schatzmayer

Ebru Kurbak

Irene Posch

MIT Hi-Low Tech Lab

Interview: Janet Echelman

Janet Echelman builds living, breathing sculpture environments that respond to the forces of nature—wind, water, and light—and become inviting focal points for civic life. Named Architectural Digest’s 2012 Innovator for “changing the very essence of urban spaces,” Echelman combines ancient craft with cutting-edge technology to create permanent sculpture at the scale of buildings.

Janet Echelman

Technology & Design: A Creative Alliance in Arashi Shibori

by Anne Selby

“I began my exploration of Arashi shibori just wanting to push the boundaries of the technique for myself and create new and beautiful objects. Somehow, en route, I have found myself running a business exporting my Compleat™ Arashi Shibori Wrapping Machine and silk accessories worldwide.”

The Science of Natural Dyes

by Catharine Ellis

Jay Rich

Ana Lisa Hedstrom

Lisa Grey

Sara Goodman

Elin Noble

www.kakishibui.com

Joan Morris

Valerie Walker

Bhakti Ziek

Yoshiko Wada

Michel Garcia Natural Dye Workshop

Nathalie Miebach: Hurricanes, Roller Coasters, and Baskets

by Sally Hansell

Nathalie Miebach

Gallery Nord, San Antonio, TX

Museum of Science, Boston, MA

Geraldine Ondrizek: Chromosome Painting

by Jane Chin Davidson

Geraldine Ondrizek

Go Forward Design

How Textiles are Saving the World

by Christina Conklin

Cradle to Cradle REWORK

Cradle to Cradle workwear

Climatex®

Dr. Dava Newman

BioSuit

KVA Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd

Portable Light

Qmilch®

Mademoiselle Chi Chi

Concrete Canvas Shelters

www.materialconnexion.com

Click here to see a sample of the Spring 2013 issue ( www.surfacedesign.org/publications/sda-journal )

In direct violation of my personal travel aphorism ‘the farther you go the longer you stay’, I flew to the UK in September 2012 to attend the 3-day In the Loop 3: The Voices of Knitting conference.

Held at the Discovery Center in Winchester (Hampshire County), England, In the Loop 3 was a small but dense gathering of academics, practitioners, enthusiasts and others.

Presentations over the 3 days covered a wide range of topics – from Susan Strawn’s historic presentation Nordic knitting design: Cross-cultural Branding of the American Ski Industry to Introversion and Knitting, a talk by Dr. Jessica Hemmings which addressed knitting as a solitary rather than a social activity. It drew on the recently published book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (by Susan Cain).

Australian criminologist Dr. Alyce McGovern’s talk, Guerrilla Knitting: The Craft of Subversion?, was an unexpected address on yarn bombing from a legal point of view. The overall breadth of perspectives gave a solid sense of both knitting’s current popularity as well as its importance as an area of academic inquiry. Program brochure can be accessed at www.southampton.ac.uk/intheloop

My own presentation, Unraveling Political Knitting, was a visual review of the historical roots of knitting and politics through the lens of American wartime knitting. It also covered the current wave of sculptural knitters who are crafting visceral responses to contemporary issues of war, climate change, species preservation – as well as yarn bombing the public square.  My talk was well received with the flattering request that I concentrate more on my own work at a future gathering.

While there, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet some of the knitteratti whose work I have followed for some time, including sculptural knitters Freddie Robins and Anna Maltz as well as the well-known Danish designer and knit author Vivian Hoxbro, whose Shadow Knitting book cover is shown below, left.

I so enjoyed meeting a Scandinavian contingent, including Annemor Sunbo. Her work is so revered in Norway that in 2012 she received 1 of only 2 stipends awarded by the Norwegian government to carry out her cultural preservation work.

Her book Everyday Knitting: Treasures from a Ragpile (cover shown at right) documents her experience buying a decrepit woolen mill in the 1990s, where she found well-preserved knit fragments from throughout the last century. By studying these fragments, she has composed an historical record of Norwegian knitting over the last hundred years. Several more of her books continue to elaborate on knitting history of the area. Find out more about her work at www.annemor.com.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Hazel Tindall from the Shetland Islands, the site of In the Loop 2, who currently  holds the title of Fastest Knitter in the World from the 2008 contest held in Minneapolis, MN (in association with Craft Yarn Council of America).

The conference was dedicated to the memory of Richard Rutt, well known author of A History of Hand Knitting (1989). His library, along with that of Montse Stanley, is now an integral part of the Knitting Reference Library at Winchester School of Art.

With 1 extra day to tour the city of Winchester, it was a delightful surprise to find a fiber installation honoring the recent London Olympics at Winchester Great Hall (along with King Arthur’s legendary Round Table) that was inspired by the French knitter Françoise Dupré.

Not only do I have no regrets over the shortness of this trip -  but I would happily repeat such a brief but rewarding overseas adventure if or when there is an In the Loop 4.

After all, who wouldn’t want to do some international networking and go talk knitting in either possible future sites of Ireland or Estonia?

(Editor’s Note: Knit Wits world wide can now track the evolution of the newly-formed Center for Knit & Crochet in Madison, WI at knittingheritagemuseum.wordpress.com)

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Adrienne Sloane has shown her work nationally for over 20 years.  An award winning artist, she teaches sculptural fiber internationally and has worked with indigenous knitters in Bolivia and Peru.

Her work has been published in Fiber Art Now, Fiberarts, American Craft, Surface Design Journal, The Culture of Knitting and is profiled in Knitting Art. Sloane has work in Philadelphia Museum of Art, Goldstein Museum of Design, American Textile History Museum and the Kamm Collection. Her curatorial work includes Beyond Knitting and Primary Structures exhibitions at San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles and Metaphoric Fibers in Minneapolis.

Visit her website at www.adriennesloane.com
and her blog at adriennesloane.blogspot.com

(As deadlines approach for shipping work to SDA in•ter•face Conference, NewsBlog asked Patricia Malarcher to assemble a list of helpful tips based on her experience. If you’re shipping work to San Antonio, exhibition coordinators will send you specific directions & deadlines. Thanks to former SDA Conference Manager Dot Moye for suggesting this article after the last conference. – NewsBlog Editor Leesa Hubbell )

Is there an artist without a horror story related to shipping?

How about this one:

I was invited to exhibit in a quilt show in France. The deadline was close, but UPS assured me that a week was enough time to get the quilt to Texas, where the show would be assembled and sent overseas. I packed my piece in a reusable Sonotube, sent it off via UPS, and 2 days later, it was delivered—to my own front door!

When the tube had been returned from a previous show, I’d neglected to remove the shipping label so that’s what was scanned at the dispatching center. Fortunately, I managed to curb my panic, and re-sent the package via FedEx’s overnight service.

The lesson learned—when re-using a box or container, remove or cover up any addresses or bar codes from previous use—came at a very high price.

COMPARISON OF SERVICES: FedEx / UPS / USPS

I use FedEx and UPS interchangeably. Both have guaranteed delivery schedules, and you can track packages in transit. (However you ship, keep the receipt with the tracking number handy.)

FedEx is never the cheaper route, but using FedEx Ground or FedEx Express/Third Day Delivery keeps the cost down. FedEx and UPS will pick up packages from your home or studio for a nominal fee in addition to the shipping cost. Otherwise, UPS Stores and FedEx Offices, where both packing and shipping services are available, are widely accessible.

When you’re sending more than one piece in more than one container to the same address, FedEx will ship them all under one label rather than as separate items. (The barcode is the mother hen that keeps them together.) That ensures their arrival at the same time, and whoever accepts them will have only one form to sign. It also means that if your package is picked up at your address, there will be a fee for only one item. UPS requires a separate form for each piece.

Go Small with USPS: For smallish packages, US Postal Service’s Priority Mail is the most economical route. USPS won’t guarantee arrival on a particular day—unlike FedEx and UPS, it doesn’t have its own fleet of planes—but you can track delivery.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICES:
Both FedEx and UPS have international service. However, a FedEx representative advised contacting customer service about customs regulations that differ from one country to another. Rates became an issue when I was sending work to South Korea—the cost for the trip there and back via FedEx was close to the value of the piece being sent.

Chunghie Lee, a Korean artist who frequently ships internationally, recommended US Postal Service Express Mail International. I followed her advice, and found that service to be fast and reliable at a surprisingly reasonable price. Lee also said that using USPS rather than a commercial service avoided time-consuming paperwork at the receiving end.

Go USPS for P.O. Boxes: Only USPS delivers to P.O. boxes. All other carriers require street addresses.

Shipping Myth or Hot Tip?: This may be apocryphal, but ’tis said that it’s best to ship during the middle of the week so your package doesn’t get sidetracked over a weekend.    

When to Go Pro: For domestic and overseas shipping of artworks too large or complex to send via standard carriers, professional art handlers are the gold standard. FedEx offers a service for artworks called FedEx Custom Critical, but in most major cities there are specialized art shipping companies that pack, crate, transport, and deliver artwork. A long list appears when you google art shipping services. You might also check with a local gallery for a referral.

PACKING MATERIALS     

I no longer cruise around scavenging abandoned refrigerator cartons from which to make boxes, or haunt carpet dealers for discarded rug tubes. Now there are plenty of retail sources—notably, at UPS Stores, FedEx Offices, Staples and Home Depot—for boxes and tubes in a range of shapes and sizes.

If you have space to store boxes in quantities, check an online source such as Uline.com, for an enormous selection at excellent prices. USPS Post offices carry a variety of free boxes for use with Priority Mail, and sell a limited supply of others in larger sizes. They also sell 24- and 36-inch tubes (intended for shipping documents) that I use for rolling up large 2-D fabric pieces in preparation for packing in larger tubes or boxes. Sometimes I tape 2 of these tubes together, end to end, to get the right size. FedEx Office carries 48-inch tubes.

Sonotubes (tubular molds for casting concrete) are almost indestructible as shipping containers and are great for holding quilts that are rolled. Available at building supply stores, they come in different diameters (e.g., 8, 10, and 12 inches) and lengths; you may have to saw the ends off to get the length you need. Their open ends have to be covered, but you can make lids from corrugated sheets or other heavy cardboard.

Recently, I started shipping rolled quilts in ski boxes—2 long boxes that telescope into each other so the length is flexible and the walls are extra sturdy. Available at UPS Stores, these are normally strong enough to re-use. If you fold quilts or tapestries for shipping, rolling plastic dry cleaner bags and placing them in the folds can help prevent creases.

To ship fragile items, DC-area artist Saaraliisa Ylitalo recommends double-boxing—one box inside another—to absorb pressure from the outside. Fill any open spaces inside the boxes so the work can’t shift about or move around.

Recycling is a virtuous practice, but never use a carton that has lost its rigidity—it can collapse and break open, damaging the contents. Assume that your box may travel under something heavier than itself.

Wood crates are recommended for extremely heavy or hard-to-pack pieces, but be warned before building your own: wood used for international shipping must be provably sanitized to destroy any organisms therein.
 
PRACTICE CLEAR LABELING: A final word about boxes: Mark the outside with information useful to those who will handle it. For example, if you want the box positioned or opened at a certain end, print “This End Up” or “Open Here” legibly and confirm with an arrow. “Fragile” stickers usually are available at shipping centers.

INSURANCE AND LOSS

Most of the artists consulted for this article considered shipping artwork a calculated risk. We insure things – and then hope for the best.

A FedEx clerk recently wanted to open a box for inspection because I’d valued the contents at $500. I didn’t want my careful packing disturbed – plus, there was nothing inside to validate worth – so I said “Cross out the value” and crossed my fingers. Like most packages, that one reached its destination, but inevitably some don’t, and disappear forever.

UPS insures art up to $50,000, while the ceiling for FedEx is only $1000, regardless of actual value.

We can claim whatever amount we want, but collecting insurance is reality-based.

All insurers require evidence to confirm the value of artwork beyond the cost of materials from which it was made. Claims are usually honored if a piece was sold and the artist has a receipt for the sale, or if the artwork had been appraised and documented by a certified professional.

In an unusual case, UPS fully reimbursed an artist whose package was lost en route to a gallery when she produced a copy of the itemized invoice listing prices for the contents, and stated that she could remake the artwork.

When USPS loses an uninsured package, a customer can request a search. This may seem like an exercise in futility, but it’s advisable to follow through (and then forget about it). With faint hope I filed a claim on a lost package of un-duplicatable photographs; they showed up a year later at a dead mail recovery center.

The following websites give further information on most aspects of shipping, with the option of direct e-mail communication. Responses to questions come promptly.

UPS: www.international.ups.com/global-trade/international-shipping-guide
FedEx: www.fedex.com/us/international/easy-shipping-rates
USPS: www.usps.com/ship

(Editor’s Note: Surface Design Association Members Only Group on Facebook has attracted informative discussions about shipping – especially international practices. If you are an SDA member, request to join the discussion at the top of that Facebook page, searchable via “Surface Design Association (Members Only Group)”. Then scroll through the recent posts to find the discussions. Click on Facebook icon at the top of this page to start the process.)

_____________________________________________
Patricia Malarcher is a studio artist and independent writer who was Editor of SDA’s quarterly Surface Design Journal for 18 years (1993-2011). She lives and works in Englewood, New Jersey.

After 30+ years of studio work and teaching, I sometimes wonder what’s next?

My students often ask me…when are you writing a book?

I always put that idea on the back burner, until last year (2012) when I decided that it was time to make my workshops more widely available.

The results? 2 new instructional DVDs: Arashi: Language of Stripes and Stitch Resist Reconsidered.

Arashi shibori is the technique that has fascinated me most throughout my career. I love that something so simple as wrapping fabric around a pole can be developed in so many sophisticated ways.

In this 2 disc “workshop”,  I share my fascination with the history of arashi and show many samples of vintage Japanese fabrics. They still amaze and inspire me. How could the artisans produce such tiny patterns!? Friends and colleagues loaned many traditional textiles to film. I was especially inspired by the African examples. This could be a whole new direction for me.

As for stitched resists, I am not a skilled stitcher, but I seem to be using it more and more in my own work. It is my complete “klutziness” with a needle that pushed me to develop a foolproof way of doing traditional Japanese stitch resist. Just give me a tool to help the process along and I get excited!

Based on the accordion folded shibori of Motohiko Katano, stitching through folds with a sewing machine is perfect for modular squares or strips for piecing or quilting. The stitching is not pulled up; it acts instead like a clamp, channeling the dye or dye remover. I expect someone will really run with this idea. I can’t wait to see their results!

Instruction in the use of a smocking pleater is also included. This is a great tool for miniatures, textures, moire patterns, and trims.

There were many decisions in making the DVDs. Should I make it appeal to a mass audience? Or talk to more experienced artisans who are already skilled in many shibori techniques? I decided to make a complete “textbook” – with chapters for beginners as well as for the more advanced. I knew I probably wouldn’t come back to make another DVD.

Did I have to leave things out? Absolutely. But choices had to be made – and I do feel I have something to contribute after so many years of exploration and teaching. Teaching is so much more than technique. I try to share my studio philosophy of experimenting and trying ideas on a wide variety of substrates. The fabric always “talks back”. If you pay attention, ideas take shape.

This filming took more than a little courage for someone who has a phobia of being filmed.

Fortunately my filmmaker and producer, Andrew Galli of www.gallifilms.com is very experienced. He knows just when to step up and play the role of cheerleader when needed.

The best part? Getting back to the studio and pursuing new ideas.

Stay tuned!

Each boxed DVD is 2½ hrs on 2 discs.
They are available through my website at www.analisahedstrom.com
(where you can view excerpts from both DVDs)
and also at Dharma Trading, ProChemical & Yoshiko Wada’s website at www.yoshikowada.com.

Internationally, they can be purchased at Zijdelings
(The Netherlands), Gallery Smend (Germany),
Rainbow Silks (Great Britain) and Silksational (Australia).

Both DVDs will be available for purchase at SDA Conference Bookstore during 2013 SDA in•ter•face Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 6-9. Hedstrom’s scarves and accessories (shown at right) will also be featured at in•ter•face SDA Members’ Trunk Show.

__________________________________________
Ana Lisa Hedstrom is known for her signature textiles based on contemporary adaptations of Japanese shibori resist dyeing. Her work is included in the collections of major museums including Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Museum of Art and Design, De Young Museum, and Oakland Museum.

Her work had been exhibited and published internationally. She has taught and lectured at San Francisco State University and California College of Art and at numerous international conferences and summer art programs.

Her awards include 2 NEA grants and she is a fellow of The American Craft Council.

The (Teeny-Tiny) Pieces of My Heart: Beginning Tambour Embroidery
with Lalon Alexander & Theresa Alexander
SDA in•ter•face Post-conference 5-day Workshop
June 10-14, 2013
San Antonio, Texas
(PLEASE NOTE: This workshop has been cancelled due to under-enrollment. However, the Alexander sisters will present a demonstration, “Creativity and Couture Embroidery”, on Friday, June 7.)

“What’s the hardest part about beading on fabric?” is the question we are most frequently asked.

“The constant loss” is the most honest answer – out of many possible complex answers to that question. (Note that this requires a wistful look to the side as spoken).

Imagine that the phone rings, or the cat decides you obviously need her help – or you suddenly remember the natural laws of chemistry applied to whatever you are cooking, and you are required to set aside your embroidery work.

It is inevitable that when you return, some sort of space-time shift has occurred, and you can no longer locate your scissors, beads or glasses. After all, it couldn’t possibly be that you just forgot where you laid them down!

Personally, I always blame the cat. Inexplicably, the lost item returns as soon as I locate a replacement. I have yet to find a physicist that can hypothesize a viable theory for this.

In truth there are many challenges with textile embroidery and beading, but the outcome is more than worth it.

It’s a bit like buried treasure in its own way: you have to work your buns off to get to the right point, but that treasure is a beauty!

In this class, you will not be learning about cross-stitch, crewel, or needlepoint.

While beautiful work can be created with these techniques, they are rarely employed in professional embroidery and beading for garments. Professional embroidery and beading – whether for fashion, costumes, interior or art-making – generally uses a mix of techniques and tools. Both the threaded needle and the tambour hook are commonly employed. The materials will be custom-selected to match the overall design. Many beading designers need to know as much about fabric manipulation as they do about beading and embroidery in order to command the full range of design possibilities.

One of the biggest misconceptions that we commonly hear is the idea that this sort of embroidery can either be done by machine, or by anyone who does hobby embroidery. There is a big difference between hobby embroidery and professional embroidery.  As to a machine doing this, well, trust me. It can’t.

So why not expand your own creative possibilities? Join us to learn about professional beading and embroidery!

It doesn’t take any previous skill. We start everyone from the beginning. In fact, we have never found any particular “type” of person to be more adept at it than another. Previous embroidery experience does not matter.

In this class, you will learn to set up your own frame, use both the needle and tambour hook to apply threads, beads and sequins and the process for finishing the project.

We will cover how to transfer designs, beginning stitch techniques and the applique process. Even if you do not complete the project in class, you will have all the information you need to finish on your own.

Join us. You will go home with your own beaded heart – and all of its teeny-tiny pieces!

Register for this in•ter•face post-conference 5-day workshop at www.surfacedesign.org
(Workshop availability subject to change after April 15, 2013.)
You must log in as an SDA member and register for the conference to add this workshop.
(If you’d like to take the “workshop only” option, you can subtract the conference fee after.)

_________________________________________
Lalon Alexander & Theresa Alexander: Biographical Information + Usual Questions Asked

Theresa and Lalon Alexander ARE sisters. They are not twins.

They share many of the same interests and currently teach at the same university – University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. While this causes some initial confusion for the freshman, they eventually figure it out by their sophomore or junior year.

They have lived, studied and worked around the globe, mostly bifurcated. Both studied at École Lesage in Paris, the embroidery and beading atelier for Chanel, Dior and other high-fashion labels. Lalon worked as a beader for film and Broadway in New York City before returning home to Texas. Theresa taught classes in Paris and Lubbock, TX (gasp!). Theresa continues to teach a beading and embroidery class each spring to her UIW college students.

Their work has been featured on Broadway in Wicked, Spamalot, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Color Purple, The Producers, La Cage Aux Folles, and Mame – among many others. Their film & TV credits include Memoirs of a Geisha, The Producers and Temple Grandin (HBO). Their fashion embroidery has been featured in WWD and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Lalon has a BS in Fashion Design from Texas Tech University, MFA in Costume Design from Carnegie Mellon University, and also studied at Paris Fashion Institute, École Lesage, London College of Fashion & Fashion Institute of Technology.

Theresa has a BS in Fashion Design from Texas Tech University, MA in Clothing Technology from Nottingham Trent University with further studies at Paris Fashion Institute, École Lesage & London College of Fashion.

Their side business, Elephant Embellishments, was started in 2006 to take professional embroidery commissions. It will soon be turned into a school.

Be the Critic! Writing Boot Camp for Aspiring Authors with Bean Gilsdorf
SDA in•ter•face Post-conference 3-day Workshop
June 10-12, 2013
San Antonio, Texas
(PLEASE NOTE: This workshop has been cancelled due to under-enrollment.)

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) recently hosted 2013 deFINE ART conference that included a panel discussion focused on professional practices. Of the 5 most important things an artist could do to support his or her studio activity, writing was #3 on the list!

Even though many artists bemoan the act of writing, in my experience the SCAD panel is correct: writing is one of the most meaningful ways to stimulate your own artistic practice – as well as engage with the art community.

Sometimes the word critic scares people off, but in fact, it means “a person who evaluates and analyzes” - and that’s something we could use more of in the textiles arts community. Beyond personal enrichment, writing about textile exhibitions contributes to the scholarship of our field in a meaningful way.

This was part of the inspiration behind my idea to start offering Writing Bootcamp for Aspiring Authors workshops. In this introductory class, participants can start with no prior writing experience and emerge as published authors. Over these 3 days, we will examine what makes a good exhibition review, look at the work in the conference shows, then write, edit – and publish.

Using step-by-step exercises, both in the classroom and the galleries, I’ll teach participants how to become art critics, allowing them to share their ideas and opinions about textiles with the larger art world. If there’s a lack of critical attention to textiles, there’s only one way to fix it—by stepping up and writing about the work from an informed perspective.

You’ll emerge with a much deeper experience of the many benefits of writing.

You probably already know that writing about your own work can clarify your aesthetic and conceptual aims; an activity such as journaling about your process can sharpen your critical thinking skills and assist with creative problem solving in the studio. Additionally, writing documents such as artist statements and biographies helps viewers appreciate your work even when they can only view it in reproduction.

Yet it may come as a surprise to know that writing about the work of other makers can improve and enhance your practice as well.

One of the main perks of writing analytically is that it leads to a deeper understanding of art in general. Instead of rushing through an exhibition, the act of writing slows you down and trains you to see—and think—in greater detail. Of course, the practice of writing about art also makes you more adept at composing your own artist statements, gallery communiqués, or residency or grant applications.

Just as regular exercise makes it easier to run a mile, writing about art sharpens your mind and trains you to communicate more effectively. The practice of writing and publishing exhibition reviews can also broaden your network. You’ll definitely connect with other artists through your writing plus you’ll interact with art historians, gallerists, curators and other critics.

So consider making this investment in yourself and your work. Dig deep, get ready to take it to the next level – and join me for a new kind of workout right after in•ter•face!

View full workshop description and register at www.surfacedesign.org.
You must be an SDA member to log in and register for the conference to add this workshop. If you’d like to take the “workshop only” option, you can subtract the conference after.
(Workshop availability subject to change after April 15, 2013.)

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Bean Gilsdorf is an artist and writer. Her critical writing has appeared online and in print publications such as Art Practical, Daily Serving, Textile: the Journal of Cloth and Culture, and Fiberarts Magazine.

She received a B.A. in literature from Simon’s Rock College, a M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Colorado, and an M.F.A. from the California College of the Arts. Her work has been included nationally in exhibitions at Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, American Textile History Museum and Holter Museum of Art, as well as exhibition spaces in Poland, England, Italy, China, and South Africa. She has received grant support from Surface Design Association, Puffin Foundation, and NW Film Center of the Portland Art Museum. Gilsdorf was a 2011-2012 Graduate Fellow at Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, California and recently completed a residency at Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada.

After serving SDA for more than 25 years, Joy Stocksdale is leaving to pursue other projects.

“She was the anchor of all of us.”

Those are Past SDA President Bee Colman’s words – but they capture the sentiments of many who have worked with Joy over the years.

“I knew these were my people from the first SDA meeting I attended around the mid-80s,” Joy recalls. She remembers the thrill of finding a community of artists who, like herself, dyed and printed on fabric. SDA was  young, not even 10 years old, with lots of opportunities for volunteers. Soon Joy became the California Rep, then the Southwest Regional Rep and then assumed a series of administrative roles that, early on, included assisting Charles Talley, former Journal Editor.

That’s where she was in 1993, when I succeeded Charles. I recognized her name from her memorable kimono in a Young Americans exhibition at the Museum of Arts & Design (then the American Craft Museum) some years before.

Working with Joy for more than 18 years was among the pleasures of editing the Journal. Without her, the magazine would never have reached the membership. Since our printer was in Hong Kong, Joy kept track of shipping schedules, dealt with customs officials and confronted crises like wooden crates suspected of harboring germs. She negotiated with USPS over ever-changing postal regulations; prepared mailing labels, made sure subscriptions and renewals were up to date, kept in contact with the magazine distributor, and paid the bills.

Tasks related to the Journal were a small part of her responsibilities, especially while she served as Executive Director. She meticulously took care of details, but also watched the big picture—e.g., when websites were a new phenomenon, it was Joy who insisted that SDA have one. Joy was resourceful; when asked to research a site near Kansas City for an SDA Board retreat, she found a buffalo ranch.

Joy was always motivated by her deep love for SDA and its members. I treasure her friendship and thank her for her never-failing support and encouragement. I look forward to seeing her creativity soar in new directions.

Bernice (Bee) Colman, Past SDA President:
I can hardly imagine SDA without Joy.
When I became President in 1985, Joy was always there to facilitate, mediate, inspire, listen, work. She was the one who could answer questions, make suggestions, help with any task. She attended all the board meetings and never raised her voice or got angry. This petite, soft-spoken woman was able to get anything done—she just did what had to be done or found the right person for the job. Joy is organized, inventive, strong, and of course an incredible artist and teacher. We not only were (and still are) colleagues, but also friends.

Jason Pollen, SDA President Emeritus:
Regarding Joy Stocksdale: I love her, like her, admire her, respect her, venerate her, and enJoy her. As President of SDA for 16 years [1993-2010], I stayed on because Joy was there with us, a true and inspiring partner. She kept us on track, got us off Cloud 9 when we dawdled there a little too long, commended us when we accomplished our goals, generously took the reins as we searched for new board members and regional and state reps, and said our heartfelt good-byes to those who moved on. If I were creating a new planet I would make her the FLFICS (Founding Leader of the Intergalactic Federation of Creative Souls). When I reflect back on my years devoted to SDA, it is with gratitude and a sense of having fulfilled a meaningful mission. The mission and vision were kept front and center with Joy Stocksdale at the helm. Thank you, Joy!

Candace Edgerley, Past SDA President:
In addition to being an SDA employee, Joy has been one of the most dedicated volunteers I’ve ever known. SDA has been her labor of love; she put in many more hours each month than were noted on her time sheets. Joy was ever-positive, thoughtful, efficient, and caring; her thoroughness will be missed. Thank you, Joy, for helping to strengthen SDA in so many ways.

Jane Dunnewold, Current SDA President:
My first experience of Joy was watching her demonstrate her distinctive polychromatic printing process at a conference a few years ago. Her enthusiasm for the process was infectious and I went home eager to work! That same enthusiasm has steadied SDA’s course over its lifetime and Joy deserves a great deal of credit for the many hours she invested in SDA’s success.

Ann Brockette, Former SDA Executive Director:
Joy Stocksdale has served in every capacity and knows the history and operations of the organization better than anyone I know. Even after she decided to step down from administrative involvement, she agreed to continue working for SDA during a critical time of crisis. She champions the work of our members and has been meticulous in affirming the benefits afforded them through their membership. I have been doubly fortunate to know Joy as a colleague and friend. I thank her for her support, good cheer and positive outlook. I thank her, too, for some wonderful visits and incredible, home-cooked, healthful meals. My thoughts and ongoing support are with you, Joy, as you move on to new adventures.

Melinda Lowy, SDA Treasurer:
As Executive Director, Joy was a wonderful mentor to me as the new Website Manager. She patiently answered questions, encouraged me to consider new possibilities with the website and helped test new applications thoroughly. She made me feel welcome and an integral part of SDA. When she found out I was considering applying for the Treasurer position, she was very encouraging and supportive.

After “retiring” as Executive Director but staying on as Finance Director, Joy has been invaluable in facilitating the transitions between succeeding Executive Directors, training them and bringing them up-to-speed on daily duties and long-range plans. With her firm guidance throughout the years, SDA is now a vibrant and steady organization firmly focused on serving its members. I will miss working with her but I’m sure she will continue to support SDA in new ways.

Jan Myers-Newbury, Former Director of Membership:
As a board member of SDA (c. 2000), I quickly became aware of the fact that if you wanted to know something—no, ANYthing—about the organization, you should ask Joy. She was and is the collective memory of SDA. While it is completely understandable that Joy would decide to step down from her current position as Finance Director, it still strikes me as bittersweet to think of SDA without her active participation. I know that her contributions will continue to be felt for a few more decades. Be creative, Joy!

Dot Moye, Former SDA Conference Director:
It was my privilege to work with Joy Stocksdale from 2009 to 2012. Joy is a constant advocate for individual members of SDA. Her knowledge of and care for the membership has informed her many activities within the organization. As I worked closely with her, particularly during the conferences, the complexities of managing payments and budget details were navigated successfully through her persistent efforts and attention to detail. With Joy’s unflagging support we were able to continue fine-tuning conference procedures and expenses, assuring the success of these events.

Diane Sandlin, Current SDA Executive Director:
Nearly a year ago, I became ED and quickly discovered that my “go-to” for everything related to SDA was Joy. She knows the history of SDA (from the mid-70′s) and has a command not only for how things have been done – but how they should be done.  Needless to say, I’ve found her perspective invaluable. To say she cares about the organization is quite an understatement. Joy has lived and breathed the evolution of SDA. Her imprint is firmly established. This organization owes her a tremendous debt of gratitude. I personally look forward to our continued association and I predict she’ll always be an active advocate of SDA’s growth and mission.

Carolyn Kallenborn, Former SDA Conference Director:
In those first years that I ran the conference, I felt that I should have a direct line to her house because we were on the phone constantly. Joy’s ability to keep the zillions of details straight was amazing. Her dedication to SDA was remarkable—she put so much of herself and her life into the organization. I often wondered if it could continue without her. She set up the board meetings, negotiated contracts, kept track of the membership, the website and finances. Any time we didn’t know what to do or had a problem we would call Joy. And if she couldn’t solve the issue, she knew who to contact. She trained, mentored, and nurtured countless conference directors, board members, and employees.

With SDA’s ever-changing flow of people, Joy was the constant, the institutional memory, the wise woman of the organization. It was a pleasure to have had the experience of working with her. Joy is absolutely the perfect name for her.

May all SDA members – past, present and future – join all of us (who have had the opportunity to work alongside Joy) in acknowledging the extraordinary contribution Joy Stocksdale has made to the textile arts community throughout her many years and roles at Surface Design Association.

THANK YOU, JOY.

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Patricia Malarcher is a studio artist and independent writer who was Editor of SDA’s quarterly Surface Design Journal for 18 years (1993-2011). She lives and works in Englewood, New Jersey.

In 2012, Gail Martin celebrated her 40th anniversary as a textile collector with a successful NYC gallery. For textile arts cognoscenti everywhere, these 4 decades also mark her ongoing influence in the art world, where she has helped transform textiles from “rags” to “riches” in the public imagination.

Martin and Ullman Artweave Textile Gallery opened in 1972 with partners Ocsi Ullman and Vladimir Haustov. The gallery was renamed – and has endured – as Gail Martin Gallery since 1994 when Martin became the sole owner.

Gail Martin’s internationally-recognized name is most closely associated with Central Asian textiles. Her expertise in this area began with trips to Afghanistan in the early 1970s, undertaken with then-partner Vladimir Haustov. The two traveled into remote areas where they were awestruck by the brilliant beauty of local textiles – especially dramatic ikat-dyed silks and floral embroideries. At that time, these textiles were virtually unknown and undocumented in the West. Martin was struck not only by their virtuosity but also by their aesthetic compatibility with contemporary art.

As the niece of American artist Ben Shahn, Martin had grown up surrounded by art. She recognized the visual sophistication of these fabrics. While the shimmering colors and bold designs of the ikats resonated with Abstract Expressionism and Color Field work (especially, for example, the late paintings of Mark Rothko or the color studies of Josef Albers), the playful, unexpected colors and shapes of the embroidery motifs recalled watercolors by Paul Klee or paper cut-outs by Paul Matisse.

As they traveled in Afghanistan, Martin and Haustov began to purchase textiles, especially old and rare 19th-century pieces. Upon their return to the US, they delved into research on the history, geography and techniques employed in these pieces, thereby honing their expertise. As a way of financing subsequent trips, they began to sell textiles from their home. This enterprise was an instant success. It earned funds for further travel, more research and also brought them into contact with a wide circle of textile experts and collectors.

One of these contacts was Ocsi Ullman, a Turkish-born art dealer whose specialties were Ottoman textiles and Turkish folk art. Ullman immediately grasped the high quality of Martin and Haustov’s collection. Drawn together by their complementary interests, all 3 decided to go into business and open Martin and Ullman Artweave Textile Gallery in 1972 at 2nd Avenue and 52nd Street. Just 2 years later they moved to a lovely “white box” exhibition space on Madison Avenue near the Whitney Museum – in the heart of Manhattan’s fine art district – where they became known for their outstanding exhibitions.

The gallery’s opening coincided with a heady period for textiles in the art world. The collective energy of 1970’s peace, protest, and “back to the land” movements had sparked general interest in things handmade and in folk traditions. Major museum exhibitions began headlining cloth with titles like: African Textiles and Decorative Arts (1972); The Navajo Blanket (1972), and Abstract Design in American Quilts (1971) which helped viewers see the link between modern art and old cloth. This consciousness-raising initiated a wave that swept textiles into the art world from their former lowly position as “folk art” or “handicraft” to a new status as Art with a capital “A”. Art books with outstanding photo-documentation and critical writing appeared to promote textiles, too. The textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen collaborated on some of the most gorgeous books ever published on “art cloth”. One of these, The Dyer’s Art: Ikat, Batik, Plangi (1976), featured several rich Uzbek silk ikats from Artweave Textile Gallery in a 2-page spread.

Martin’s reputation is based on her ability to select pieces for their visual impact as well as technical virtuosity. In a New York Times review of the 1987 show Masterpieces of Ancient Peru: Textiles and Featherwork, art critic Rita Reif compared the pulsating effects of stripes, twin images, and simultaneous color contrast in the Nazca and Huari weavings (700—1000 A.D.) to Frank Stella painting of the 1960′s. She subtitled her review Ancient Patterns, Modern Art.

In a 1998 interview, renowned collector Dr. Guido Goldman describes how, though late for an appointment, he spotted an ikat in the gallery’s 2nd-story window and rushed upstairs to see it (this ikat is shown at top of story). After Martin explained its provenance and described the intricacies of ikat (which involve resist-dying the threads of a cloth prior to weaving), he bought the piece. This was the seed from which the Guido Goldman Collection grew, with Martin serving as curator throughout. Eventually Ikat: Splendid Silks from Central Asia – a blockbuster show – stunned audiences as it traveled to major venues across the country for over 3 years, including, among others: the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC; Jewish Museum in New York City; and Art Institute of Chicago. Several major publications accompanied the show; these catalogs are now out of print and are collector’s items in their own right. Martin has also curated a collection of Central Asian nomadic embroidered wall hangings that was accompanied by a catalog, written by Kate Fitz Gibbon and Andrew Hale, entitled Uzbek Embroidery in the Nomadic Tradition (2007).

Over the years, the gallery has expanded its focus as it changed its address. It currently deals in Central Asian textiles as well as in textile works of art from other parts of the world, including ethnographic textiles and hats from Africa, antique textiles from various non-western cultures, and, especially, pre-Columbian textiles from Peru. Martin has also shown the work of a number of contemporary artists whose innovative and conceptual use of textile media is built upon enduring textile techniques. At present, the gallery represents 4 outstanding contemporary fiber artists: Polly Barton, Jim Bassler, Michael Rohde, and Ethel Stein. If we, in the US, followed the Japanese practice of designating master artisans as “living national treasures,” these 4 would definitely fit that category.

Martin no longer mounts public exhibitions at her Riverside Drive venue – but there are always striking textiles on display which can be viewed by appointment. Her gallery contains an extensive art reference library as Martin only offers a piece for sale after careful research. Although tastes may be personal and subjective, Martin is committed to educating her clients about the history, technique and aesthetics of an object. She also advises clients on the conservation, restoration, cleaning, exhibition and storage of fine textiles and provides a variety of conservation, display, appraisal and cataloging services. But her primary – and ongoing – commitment is to educate the eye and help viewers see the visual qualities that distinguish a piece and make it collectible.

Martin is also devoted to sharing textile knowledge. She regularly attends museum programs, symposia and seminars sponsored by textile groups such as Friends of Fiber International, Textile Study Group of New York (TSGNY) and Textile Society of America (TSA). She occasionally sponsors lectures at her gallery. In spring 2012, Jim Bassler spoke about his work and the DC Textile Museum’s Sourcing the Museum exhibition; some years back, Peter Collingwood spoke about his research on textile structures.

The gallery office is a small, jewel-box exhibition space. Within its walls Martin tends to juxtapose ancient and modern works. Side by side, the interaction is magical. On the afternoon I visited, an early Wari tie-dye masterpiece (Peru, 600—1000 AD) hung on the wall around the corner from a wonderful Jim Bassler composition (Thank You Wari 2012), inspired by and executed in the same technique. Another wall showcased a marvelous collection of hats.

In another part of the gallery, Martin had clustered together an improbable set of objects that seemed to be engaged in a formal conversation on a watery theme: the grouping included a Polly Barton weaving with wave-like shapes and silvery metallic threads (Clapping Waters 2011), a Jim Bassler wedge weave with the compositional format of a boat wake on the surface of a lake, and a West African hat studded with hundreds of tiny hand-rolled mud beads stitched to a cap (from the Kirdi people of northwestern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria). In their multiplicity, these beads suggested the idea of infinite bits, like drops of water or grains of sand.

The side-by-side display of these disparate objects brought out their commonality as works of art. All were creations hard to put a name on but fascinating to gaze at and muse over. All communicated through color, form, tactility and thread (not word or image) — and all bore the shadow-trace of the artist’s hand, working out an idea in material and time.

When I visited the gallery to prepare this piece, I was awed to sit among Martin’s rare and beautiful pieces, while a conservator patiently bent over a great tapestry spread out on a table nearby. 

It struck me that as a repository of ancient and wonderful textiles, the gallery might be compared to the “Shosoin” – the 7th-century “Emperor’s treasure house” in Nara, Japan. Built as a vault for imperial wealth, its most prized contents were ancient fabrics.

Gail Martin’s gallery is a treasure house for textiles in its own right: part repository and part clinic, where rare and beautiful pieces are protected and conserved and re-united with their histories. From this small gallery, the textiles travel into new collections, and often the grand halls of museums. They move outward, just as the ripples of Martin’s re-valuation of textiles have made reverberations throughout the art world these last 40 years.

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Lois Martin (who is unrelated to Gail Martin) is an artist and writer living in Brooklyn, NY.  She frequently writes about art; her interests range from contemporary animation to archaeological textiles.

This is her first article for SDA NewsBlog.

“In·ter·face is defined by Merriam-Webster as ‘the place where two independent systems meet and act on or communicate with each other.’ Later this year, hundreds of textile-loving artists, educators, and enthusiasts will do just that when they come together at the 17th International Surface Design Association Conference* in San Antonio, Texas (June 6­­–9, 2013). This year’s keynote speakers, acclaimed artists Janet Echelman and Nathalie Miebach, will open our collective minds to ways of engaging more creatively with the world around us. I hope to see your there!”
—Marci Rae McDade, Journal Editor

*Click here to read the conference brochure and register online.

Find related links to this issue’s profiles and features below:

Annet Couwenberg:
Clothing as Interface

By Elissa Auther

“Clothing as Interface is not just a personal investigation; it also supports the value of hybridized identities in a world where people, often disconcertingly, prefer to cling to expressions of identity defined as ‘pure,’ many carried out through dress or other textile forms.”

Annet Couwenberg

Maryland Institute College of Art

Unraveling Economies: Gali Cnaani

By Jessica Hemmings

“Constructed as brooches, each piece is a curious hybrid of industrially manufactured cloth unpicked and partially rewoven by hand: a literal interface between hand and machine. The new shapes are familiar but altered.”

Gali Cnaani is represented by browngrotta arts

Change from Within: Otto von Busch

By Bean Gilsdorf

“Hacking is something you do because you love fashion . . . I believe it is better to make change from within the system, by not destroying it but building on it.” —Otto von Busch

Otto von Busch

Catching the Light in San Antonio

By Michaele Haynes

“Year after year, royal robes have gotten heavier, more expensive, and better at catching the light. Why have hundreds of families over the over the past century continued to participate in such a costly event, even during trying economic times? Anthropological fieldwork reveals that the oft-repeated mantra, ‘It is a family tradition,’ is key to the continuance of these coronations.”

Fiesta San Antonio

Veronica Prida

Kathryn Clark’s Foreclosure Quilts

By Gabriel Craig

“These new works took their form from foreclosure maps that marked the disintegration of neighborhoods in Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Las Vegas, Phoenix and beyond. Instead of process, composition, and formalism playing a dominant role in the work, Clark’s design decisions now reflected her socially charged subject matter through the careful introduction of potently metaphoric materials.”

Kathryn Clark

Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan

By Mason Riddle

“Boetti’s textiles exquisitely embody his expansive artistic practice. These physical objects of beauty are profound, in part, due to the elusive and multilayered nature of their making, from concept to realization. As records of time, they chart, over two decades, the shifting political boundaries of countries around the globe. Literally and metaphorically, the textiles symbolize Boetti’s belief in the creative possibilities of a cross-continental collaboration.”

Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan

MoMA

An Artworld under the Spell

By Warren Seelig

“Never has the ‘spell’ of fiber and textile on the world of contemporary art been as rampant as we have seen in the last decade. Painters, sculptors, jewelers, furniture designers, architects, installation, and performance artists, as well as interdisciplinary artists of every ilk, worldwide, have been appropriating the materials, techniques, and strategies directly associated with textile and fiber.”

Orly Genger is represented by Larissa Goldston Gallery

Lin Tianmaio

Asia Society Museum

Chiharu Shiota

Pae White is represented by 1301PE

Mining for Gold in Museum Collections

By Bruce W. Pepich

“When artists select items from a museum collection based on visual characteristics or for more personal interpretations, they can encourage viewers to see new meanings and develop a better understanding of chosen objects. When they create a new piece inspired by a collection, these artists open another door for the viewer, demonstrating how visual source material can be utilized to generate fresh ideas.”

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

Michael James

Racine Art Museum

Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas

The Textile Museum

Simon Beck’s Winter Wonderland

By Jamie Chalmers

“Seen from afar, the patterns look like whitework quilts from a higher realm, stitched by unearthly visitors who view the snow covered surroundings as their canvas, yet the origin of these masterpieces is closer to home. They are the work of Englishman Simon Beck, whose unique vision is creating a stir in the online and skiing communities.”

Simon Beck

Click here to see a sample of the Winter 2013 issue