COLOR & CONCEPT IN MY TEXTILE ART -Part 2
SOFT WARM FIRE, 1974-wool-180-x-690-cm., Collection of the Institute of Hotelier and Tourism Montreal. It measures 180 by 690 cm. I was most fortunate to have won several competitions for integrating art into architecture. The colors for this type of artwork must take the architectural design into account for successfully integrating my artwork. For the Institute of Hotelier and Tourism in Montreal, I selected shades of warm red and burnt sienna for the tapestry shown above. I wove this tapestry in 1974 with hand-dyed wool using aniline dyes which are necessary for the conditions imposed by the architect, such as covering the tapestry with a fire-retardant chemical.
IRIDESCENT MARSH
I created this tapestry for Cadillac Fairview, Toronto, Canada in 1984-1985. Here we see two of the three panels of a triptych titled IRIDESCENT MARSH. These two panels measure 200 cm high by 900 cm wide. This tapestry is composed of three triangular panels that were shaped as they were woven on my high-warp loom with hand dyed wool. I used my Prism colors for this artwork inspired by the reflections of sunlight on the water in a marsh near Toronto.
KING BELL LIGHTBOX is the title of my tapestry handwoven on a TC2 Jacquard loom. This is an abstract inspired by a part of the downtown area of Toronto, Ontario that I like to visit. It represents the building on King Street where the Toronto International Film Festival is held. I selected my Prism colors for this artwork that measures 69 by 99 cm., and is hand woven on a TC2 Jacquard loom with bamboo yarn.
HIGHER VISION is a tapestry triptych. This is an abstract inspired by the stained glass windows in the church of the Museum of Fine Crafts of Quebec (MUMAQ). I selected my Prism colors for the 3 panels of this artwork that measures 158 cm by 229 cm., and is hand woven on a TC2 Jacquard loom with cotton yarn and tiny LED lights. Each panel contains a micro-controller that is programmed to make the lights scintillate softly as candles in a Chapel.
IRIDESCENT CITY MONTREAL is the title of this tapestry handwoven on my TC2 Jacquard loom with cotton yarn and fiber optics. I worked for almost a year to build this electronic artwork, from 2020 to 2021. It is programed with a micro-controller to animate fiber optics with tiny LED lights hidden in the wooden box that frames this artwork. The dimensions are 132 by 155 cm.
JACQUES-CARTIER BRIDGE is the title of this tapestry handwoven on my TC2 Jacquard loom with cotton yarn and fiber optics. The dimensions are 132 by 155 cm. I created this electronic artwork, from 2020 to 2021. It is programed with a micro-controller to animate the fiber optics with tiny LED lights hidden in the wooden box that frames this artwork. The fiber optics are an emerald green color that changes to a colorful movement when someone talks or makes some noise.
Grand Heron_Protect Wildlife is the title of this artwork. My interest in protecting wildlife inspired this tapestry of a Great Blue Heron. Every summer, there is a family of herons in the field behind my studio. This tapestry is handwoven on my TC2 Jacquard loom, in my Prism colors, with mercerized cotton yarn. The dimensions are 85 cm. high by 72 cm. wide.
Great Blue Heron #3 is the title of this different version with a very new selection of colors. It is woven in wool and silk yarns for the weft on a cotton warp. This tapestry is handwoven on my TC2 Jacquard loom, and the dimensions are 83 cm. high by 70 cm. wide.
SEAGULL ON POND is the title of this tapestry with another very new selection of colors. This is from a pond on the south shore of Montreal where I photographed this seagull as it was skimming over the water. This tapestry is handwoven on my TC2 Jacquard loom, in bamboo yarn for the weft on a cotton warp. The dimensions are 49 cm. high by 74 cm. wide.
BLUE HERON-hand-woven high-warp loom tapestry : My most recent tapestry is another Blue Heron, but this one is hand woven on a high-warp loom. The weft is of wool and silk in my Prism colors, and the warp is of cotton seine twine. The dimensions are 122 cm, high by 82 cm wide.
