Danielle Lasker

The class will examine the many possibilities of creating woven forms using a tapestry loom (also called a frame loom). Students will experiment with the foundational and advanced techniques of tapestry and plain weave as they explore ways of creating surface design, imagery, texture, and color effects in their woven work. Students will also explore a variety of tapestry loom types, including how to construct looms in different sizes. Contemporary weaving projects, along with historical references, will be presented through discussions, visual presentations, demonstrations, readings, and close-up examinations of woven textiles. Contemporary artists whose tapestry work will be presented can include Diedrick Brackens, kg, Erin M. Riley, Terri Friedman, Aiko Tezuka, Josh Faught, Julia Bland, Sarah Zapata, and Erasto Tito Mendoza. Seminal works by artists who helped establish the field of fiber art from the 1950s through the early 1970s include: Trude Guermonprez, Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney, Olga de Amaral, Tadeusz Beutlich, and Magdalena Abakanowicz. Contemporary frame loom weaving will be contextualized through visual presentations and readings exploring relevant histories of weaving across the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, together with examples of present-day weaving institutions and workshops such as the Museo Textil de Oaxaca (Mexico), the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (Peru), the Manufacture Nationale des Tapisseries Senegal (Senegal), and Sadu House (Kuwait). Coursework typically includes woven samples, 3¿4 finished works, reading responses, and short research assignments and/or presentations.

The class will examine the many possibilities of creating woven forms using a tapestry loom (also called a frame loom). Students will experiment with the foundational and advanced techniques of tapestry and plain weave as they explore ways of creating surface design, imagery, texture, and color effects in their woven work. Students will also explore a variety of tapestry loom types, including how to construct looms in different sizes. Contemporary weaving projects, along with historical references, will be presented through discussions, visual presentations, demonstrations, readings, and close-up examinations of woven textiles. Contemporary artists whose tapestry work will be presented can include Diedrick Brackens, kg, Erin M. Riley, Terri Friedman, Aiko Tezuka, Josh Faught, Julia Bland, Sarah Zapata, and Erasto Tito Mendoza. Seminal works by artists who helped establish the field of fiber art from the 1950s through the early 1970s include: Trude Guermonprez, Anni Albers, Lenore Tawney, Olga de Amaral, Tadeusz Beutlich, and Magdalena Abakanowicz. Contemporary frame loom weaving will be contextualized through visual presentations and readings exploring relevant histories of weaving across the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, together with examples of present-day weaving institutions and workshops such as the Museo Textil de Oaxaca (Mexico), the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (Peru), the Manufacture Nationale des Tapisseries Senegal (Senegal), and Sadu House (Kuwait). Coursework typically includes woven samples, 3¿4 finished works, reading responses, and short research assignments and/or presentations.