 Artist
Statement
It is through the timeless act of weaving that I feel connected
to the underlying order in the universe.
When I work at the loom, my life falls into balance. Weaving slows me down
and teaches me patience, each step in the process becoming a meditation, each
counted thread a mantra repeating itself rhythmically in my head.
As the threads pass through my hands, I feel connected to other weavers throughout
time who have embedded their histories and cultures into their textiles. When
I discover patterns, I am pleased to know that many of these have appeared
in the textiles of other cultures. My journey in weaving is a search for my
own history and language.
When I first began to weave I was also taking lessons in the pipe organ. As
I sat at the loom and watched the cloth emerge I felt just as if I were still
at the organ, except that colors flowed from my hands instead of sounds. I
came to realize that many of the same elements found in music- rhythm, proportion,
texture and harmonics- are also integral aspects of weaving.
For a number of years I have been fascinated by ancient theories of musical
harmonics and how they relate to the golden proportion and sacred geometry.
I have studied and taken inspiring principles of such masters as Pythagoras,
Leonardo da Vinci and Bach, and applied their principles to my weavings. I
strive to bring the beauty and order of music into visual form.
I have chosen to focus on the technique of doubleweave pick-up, and even after
more than twenty years exploring its challenges, I remain inspired and engaged.
Doubleweave gives me great freedom of design as I choose which threads to bring
to the surface and which to conceal, and allows me virtually unlimited possibilities
in blending colors and creating new harmonies as the two layers interact with
each other.
If the structures and patterns in weaving satisfy my intellect, then color
feeds my soul Color is pure emotion and it sets me free. While geometry creates
the structure that life is built upon, color is the life force itself.
Pod Casts Listen to an interview with Jennifer at WeaveCast.com.
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