fibre 312 - mixed media, plus history of fibre

It is Fall of 2010. I have begun third year, and majoring in fibre, I now have my own "studio" - that is, a desk space in the bullpen of upper year fibre students. I continue with my theme of making objects using bookbinding techniques and printing on cloth.
After Barbie: carrying case with crochet doll inside

After Barbie: crochet doll with carrying case

 I begin to focus on making objects that are like toys.
Little doll house: box with accessories

Little doll house: box with accessories

Little doll house: box with accessories - the lamps light up!

 I used to make little dolls like this, and houses for them, when I was a kid.

Now, here is a game that was a childhood favourite of mine:
Mastermind - the classic game revisited, screen printed brains on the side of the box

Mastermind - the classic game revisited 

Mastermind - the classic game revisited, with felted balls for playing pieces

 So, there seems to be a childhood theme going on in this semester. I have the idea of an advent calendar for adults, and so I make this:

The Book of Pills

 Remember those "books" you used to get for Christmas, with Lifesavers inside? This is like that, but it contains your vitamin pills or whatever daily medications. Fun right?

The title is a play on the title "Book of Kells", a famous religious manuscript.
Image of the "Four Evangelists" from Book of Kells

The Book of Pills, interior

The Book of Pills, interior

I would have liked to have completely stitched the cover image, but I had to go with a deconstructionist approach because of time limitations.

I like the layered references in this work: childhood and wonder of the advent, and the mundanity of adulthood -- its daily pill-taking -- mixed with belief in unseen miracles -- thousand-year-old religion side-by-side with the faith in modern science. Also, it has a practical use, in that it holds a whole month of pills - bonus!

For the record, this semester I also took a "history of fibre" course, and wrote a research paper on laundry.

fibre 322 - more mixed media, plus history of craft

Winter of 2011 in the fibre department. I continue to make objects using bookbinding techniques in Fibre 322, mixed media. I also take a class on the history of craft.

This is an altered book, containing a "Jacob's ladder" type of hidden compartment.






Then follows an interesting invention, along the theme of hidden or unexpected contents: a pyramidal form which unfolds to reveal progressively tiny triangular shapes. It lies flat when unfolded, or can be shaped into various forms.





Plus, here are a number of works that I make for the ACAD show and sale:
The Prayer of St. Francis, miniature book

The Prayer of St. Francis, miniature book - I made three of these, each with a slip cover

The Prayer of St. Francis, miniature book
Blank books

Blank books

Fortune tellers



A third year course, this mixed media fibre class is pretty open ended - we are all instructed to pursue making objects of our own choosing, to engage in exploration. However there are some extra, directed assignments, as for example this little book I make; it is a guided tour of the details of how I do laundry.

The Laundry's Progress, artist's collection

Another assignment, which is very enlightening to me, is to create a presentation about an artist that we relate to. I choose to study Joseph Cornell, and read his life story, Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell. Rather synchronously, I discover unexpected affinity for his work and life story. Interestingly, all the students in the class present on artists who are self taught. Which naturally leads me to think, what I am doing here exactly?

Next project, another throwback to childhood toys, I construct a barn playset with animals. However, none of this work is sufficient for the instructor without a conceptual basis - the artist's statement is key! I just can't come up with an academic justification for making this work. Sorry, it's not about vegetarianism and abattoirs. I could lie to you, but honestly (as far as I know - I suppose the unconscious is always working on something), it's just a toy.

"Today, art is mostly apprehended with the ears" - graffiti statement in the women's washroom

The semester is going down hard, and a number of signs are pointing me toward the exit!



3-dimensional barn, designed to unfold and lay flat

Lined with handmade paper

Final project, I construct a box with curved sides (I try to address a new technical challenge with each project). This makes me think of those Russian stacking dolls.





And, speaking of hidden or unexpected contents, it contains a felted "doll", made from my own (clean!) hair which I collected over the course of the semester. Yes, sounds crazy, I know, but hear me out on this . . . I had learned about hair rats in last semester's history of fibre class: women of old used to collect their own hair and felt it, to make a form which could be used to support elaborate hair styles. This is not the only unusual use of human hair, as Victorians used human hair to create artworks, particularly as remembrances of the dead from a time when photographs were not so common. If nothing else, I learned to have an open mind in art school!


Following the numerous unfortunate events of the semester (and on this point I will not burden you, dear reader), I cannot help but recognize this work as a sarcophagus containing a doll which represents me! My artist's statement reads, "Goodbye art school."