This is the second piece in the Carrying On series, based on the parfleche cylinder shape. It is probably most recognizable as a tribute to a Native utensil because of its presentation and the suede fringe.
My concept for the piece was quite different when I started. I planned on the cylindrical shape, but expected to place it perfectly horizontal on a stand. The woven part would be more than half the piece, maybe 24 inches long…the stitched component at about 18 inches. I hadn’t worked out the details, but the vision in my head seemed quite clear.
I made the pieces, slipped the woven half into the stitched half, and …uh oh. It looked so odd. I couldn’t reconcile the image in my head with the reality in front of me. SO…..maybe the woven part was too long, so I cut some away….and cut some away….and cut more away. Finally the proportion seemed right, but it needed something else. I started to add the fringe, still believing the finished piece would be presented horizontally…no again. It wasn’t until I set the piece on a table and walked by…a diagonal was the answer! From there things went easily. I saw a totally different piece in my head and just moved along to the finish line.
It is different from the other pieces in the series, but variety is the spice of life, no?…from the studio
studio 18 art 