Most of my art knowledge is due to my SO. He instigates trips to museums and shares various and sundry art books from the library. The most recent one he brought over is Glass Art: 112 Contemporary Artists, by Barbara Purchia and E. Ashley Rooney. These artists are far and above Chihuly (who I consider the Thomas Kinkade of the glass art world). It is amazing what can be done with glass.
Of most interest to us knitters and weavers are Carol Milne, who knits with glass, and William Zweifel, who weaves with glass. Their work is simply mind boggling.
These poor examples are my attempt to photograph photographs in the book, to give you a taste. Visit their websites for an eyeful. I would *love* to see these artists in action.
When the Cubs won the World Series, I had a premonition about the election. Sadly, my fears came true. I don't remember ever bursting into tears over election results before. My one consolation is voter turnout was low, so we are not so much a nation full of hate but one of apathy and/or frustration. Let's hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
To distract ourselves last Tuesday, my SO and I took a road trip to the Toledo area. At the recommendation of a friend, we stopped at Grand Rapids OH along the way. Despite the Trump signs, we enjoyed our visit there. We ate pie at Miss Lily's Restaurant, strolled along the Maumee River, and made some fiber and decor purchases at the Natural Fiber and Yarn Co.
This store was a delightful surprise, chock full of alpaca and merino products, finished and otherwise. But what really caught my attention was the "barn loom". They estimate it to be about 200 years old, and had to disassemble it to get it out of the previous owner's basement, meticulously labeling the parts to assure correct reassembly.
Look, Ma, no nails!
The weaver sits on the bench at the right of this photo. The beater bar swings from above (like a swing!) and is worn smooth by decades of use.
The brake for the back beam looks like a ship's wheel.
Setup is not complete, as the shop owners are not sure how to get the harnesses hung correctly. (They asked me if I was a weaver, but I was not any help.) They also want to move it to a part of the store where there will be room for demos.
Our fiber day was not over. We continued our daytrip to the Toledo Museum of Art. Besides enjoying a large and diverse collection and some interesting exhibits, we were mesmerized by Plexus no. 35, a thread installation by Gabriel Dawe. These photos do not do it justice - it needs to be seen in person.
In simple terms, literally miles of thread were strung from floor to ceiling, then backlit from above. While the piece looks curved, each thread is actually straight.
The result is a rainbow of vibrant color.
This video shows how the colors appear to move, drifting up and down as one moves around the piece. It is as static as can be, though. What a wonderful visual display!
(The man in the background holding a purse is my SO. And it is *my* purse, although he is manly enough to carry a "man bag".)
My SO and I recently spent a few days in NYC, running ourselves ragged in an effort to experience as much as we could in three days. My first night home, I slept the sleep of the dead, that's how exhausted I felt. But it was fun!
Among the places we visited was the new Whitney. The current exhibit is "America Is Hard to See", showcasing American artists. My favorite pieces were the two below.
Despite what the placard that accompanied these pieces says (see last photo), I view this one as a history of my early crafting experience: the obligatory granny square afghan, the yarn octopus, homemade dolls, macrame, etc. If I had kept all that crap, I could create my own version of this work of art.
Anyone who came of age in the late '60s/early '70s might have a collection of candles such as this one. Again, it reflects what could be in my closet if I had not long ago tossed it all. Quite the shrine to the Counter Culture.
Just for grins and giggles, here is what the placard for these pieces says. A bit more lofty than my interpretation. What do you think?
These works led to a discussion of what kind of art I could create with all the old computer equipment that I have yet to dispose of. Possible titles: A Pyramid of Technology, Digital Detritus, My So-Called Career. Then I could donate it to a museum.
