Dear ALL
DATES TO DIARIZE
Dates for our next meetings:
26 May 2017 - Helga Beaumont's home
Time: 9.30 am
Address: Helga's house 21a Alexander Ave, Kloof, Cell no 0845513883
7 July 2017 - National Quilt Festival in Port Elizabeth
17:15pm Jubilee Science Lab.The meeting will only be 45 minutes long.
Odette Tolksdorf will chair the meeting. It will be the first meeting that Jeanette will miss since the inception of the Fibreworks group! Jeanette is very grateful to Odette for performing this job.
13 October 2017 - The AGM will be hosted by Sue Akerman
Address: 30 Valbridge Road, Pietermaritzburg Tel 033 347 3236
Please submit any newsworthy information to us. Our newsletters capture the history and development of our group. Your news is important.
NB Please note that many points raised at the last meeting are incorporated in the main body of the newsletter.
MINUTES OF FIBREWORKS MEETING
Our first meeting of the year was held at Odette's house in Westville.
Members present: Sarojani Naidoo, Helga Beaumont, Odette Tolksdorf, Jeanette Gilks, Rosalie Dace, Annette McMaster and Sue Akerman.
Apologies: M.Stevens, M.Letts, L.Koorts, C.Lemmer, K.Harmer Fox, J. Hearn, S. Walwyn, , C de Villiers, S. Physick, K. Arbeter, Kim Tedder, Karin Arbeter, M. Pretorius, G Gerhard.
We had a long discussion about celebrating Fibreworks 20th year in existence. Jeanette has been exploring the possibility of us exhibiting at the KZNSA gallery in Durban and she will report back when she has more information available. Odette thanked Jeanette for her passion and drive, and Rosalie complimented Jeanette on how she acknowledges every person and treats every one with respect. For those of you who have not had the chance to attend a meeting, Jeanette always ends the meetings with everyone having an opportunity to share their news - be it about Fibreworks or something inspirational. It also gives people the opportunity to bring up issues that need clearing.
Jeanette thanked Helga for her organizational skills and Odette for her support in stepping in when necessary. Fibreworks has evolved and changed, but it is still strong. Organizations are like organisms: If they fail to evolve, they die. We hope as many people as possible will come to the meeting to be held in Port Elizabeth in July during the National Quilt Show
EXHIBITIONS
Fibreworks X. Our 20th Anniversary in 2018
There was much discussion on whether or not to have a themed section of the exhibition. This idea was raised at the AGM last year and printed in the last newsletter. Please find below information to refresh your memory regarding the themed show. We have received one objection to the idea of a theme which we received by email, but the consensus at this meeting was that it was a good idea. Should you not wish to participate in the themed section, fine. No obligations. You can still take part in the show with your own non-theme work.
The theme idea is to create a fibre / textile art work inspired by any artwork featured in any National South African Gallery.
Size: no side smaller than 30 cm and no side larger than 150 cm.
There were plenty of suggestions regarding the themed section:
- It can be a literal/visual/conceptual interpretation of the chosen work.
- A section could be blown up and made into an art work.
- It could be the title that inspires you.
- You could use the meaning/content or the composition as points of departure.
- It could be a 3D interpretation (but remember it may not travel then).
- The works could be researched, and you can use the artist's theme.
- You can include inspiration from multiple artists in your one work.
You have to include one image of the chosen art work or artist to be displayed during the exhibition. This led to much discussion as to whether the image should be displayed next to the work, or the images should be displayed separately. Perhaps too, artists should consider editing very long Artist's Statements. Jeanette stated that artworks were completed in the mind of the viewer anyway.
We also discussed whether to include invited artists who work 3 dimensionally..
Regarding the planned Fibreworks exhibition: See the recent wonderful work in the Rijks Museum competition - all work entered had to be inspired by work in the Rijks Museum collection:
https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio/1837782--entries-rijksstudio-award-2017-top-75/creations?utm_campaign=uitnodiging&utm_medium=email&utm_source=20170223_Rijksstudio_Award_2017_alle_abonnees
FIBREWORKS WEB SITE http://www.fibreworksart.com
Odette, Helga and Rod have redesigned the Fibreworks web site. Please send your images and written information regarding the works, by the end of May 2017 to Helga for uploading on the new web site. If you have any queries, contact her at helga@adoptimise.com
NEWS FROM MEMBERS
Letter from Fiona Kirkwood:
I was contacted once again by the Director of World Textile Art in the USA, to be the representative for the organization in South Africa from 2016-2019. The exhibitions in the attachments are to be held next year 2017 in Montevideo Uruguay.
Please contact Fiona directly if you are interested in participating in the World Textile Art. Fiona's email address : fmkirkwood49@icon.co.za
Please note the closing date has changed.
Corinna Lemmer:
In February and March I did an Artist's Residency at Arquetopia in Puebla, Mexico. I also chose to include a three week goldgilding and estofado course, taught by the restorer at Santa Monica Religious Art Museum in Puebla.
On my first day in Puebla, the gilding instructor with the green hair said : "Puebla is a Baroque City. We Mexicans are a Baroque people. Even our food is Baroque." I wondered if the student volunteer who translated from Spanish for me, got her terminology wrong.
Later, when had I sampled the mix of tastes in the food, when I had walked the streets to photograph the heady mix of styles, colours and designs in Puebla's hundreds of churches, his analogy helped me to appreciate Mexican Baroque architecture, as well as the sensations on my palate.
Arquetopia offers a magical place to be creative in: A blood red house to live in. A purple chest of drawers, a purple rag rug and handwoven blue bedspread in your bedroom. Colour combinations you would never have dreamt of, everywhere around you. Ornate golden decorations inside churches that simply overwhelm you! World class museums. Meals such as grated chicken on crisp tacos with two different moles, or cactus leaves covered in cheese fried in a batter, always served with a delicious soup and a salad. Fellow artists of a high calibre sharing studio space, artistic ups and downs, as well fun outings.
We were given readings on Mexico, as well as on very interesting art related topics to do weekly. Why are there no great women artists? How does the context of the viewer influence the interpretation of your work? What I found most stimulating was weekly discussions with two of the directors on these readings, as well as on my work, or on anything else I wished to. It was like being back at university, getting pieces of Francisco Guevara's wisdom that I will chew on for years:" Masterpieces are always universal". "Play with scale to capture the viewer's interest"….I want to go back for more!
Mexico has an incredibly rich heritage of folk art and handcraft. Pieces of weaving and embroidery are for sale everywhere. Indigenous women embroider their blouses with designs which indicate which village they are from. It is a fibre artist's dream! This time the project I proposed to work on entailed painting sacred places combined with local handcraft. Next time it may very well be embroidering or weaving these same concepts, as these techniques are offered at another residence run by the same foundation in beautiful Oaxaca, famous for its handcrafts.
 Arquetopia Artist's Residence |
 Arquetopia Artist's Residence |
 Santa Domingue |
 Rosario Chapel |
 Baroque Museum Pueblo |
|
 Tradtional Embroideries |
 Typical Festive Decoration |
INTERESTING WEBSITES, BLOGS, EXHIBITIONS etc.
https://www.bloomberg.com/shows/brilliant-ideas
http://www.caycezavaglia.com/
David Taylor - on applique
Sue Benner
CALL FOR ENTRIES
National Craft Competition 2017: Celebrating Excellence in Skill
http://allycats.co.za/?p=735#more-735
Sanlam Portrait Award
https://sanlamprivatewealth.sanlam.com/sponsorships/portraitawards/Pages/default.aspx
Transparency - Art & Design Competition - The Embassy of Sweden in association with the FADA Gallery at the University of Johannesburg
http://www.swedenabroad.com/en-GB/Embassies/Pretoria/Current-affairs/News/Transparency-Art--Design-Competition-sys/
Luxembourg Art Prize
https://www.luxembourgartprize.com/en/
2017 World Quilt Competition, USA
https://www.quiltfest.com/upcoming-shows-and-events/world-quilt-new-england/
MAY 15, 2017 is the deadline date for entry form and .jpg images. Contact Odette for an entry form: odetteT@iafrica.com
Jeanette Gilks:savdedav@iafrica.com
Helga Beaumont:helga@adoptimise.com
