Threads of Life: Fiber Artists and the
Living World
Maura C. Flannery, Division of
Computer Science, Math and Science, College of Professional
Studies
Abstract: I report on my
conversations, via telephone and email, with several female fiber
artists concerning their interests in the living world. I
asked a series of questions: why do you use these particular
organisms (or portions of them or images of them) in your work; do
you feel the need to learn about these organisms—to observe them
alive; do you think that you learn more about them in the act of
creating your work; do you see a natural affinity between your
medium and your subjects? Through the answers, I discovered
that many of these artists had intimate knowledge of their subjects
and often collaborated with research scientists, using laboratory
equipment in their observations. Several also had feminist
and environmental agendas for their work. In these
conversations, I became aware of how deeply involved in the living
world these artists were and how they saw fiber art as particularly
suitable for their artistic aims.