I'm working on some pieces for a group show that relates Van Gogh to (and?) weaving. I wanted to make a few notes to myself as I go along, and since the show cannot include all of the thoughts around the process, thought I'd keep the notes here.
Van Gogh spent some time with the weavers in
Nuenen around 1884 and wrote a bit then about his observations of the weavers. I've seen some of the drawings and paintings he made of them and wanted to read more of what he wrote about that time and experience. I also wanted to call upon my experience of standing in front of his wonderful paintings and create some work that would take into account my own process of creation - maybe marrying color, texture and explore some sculptural aspects - while incorporating weaving techniques.
One of the sources I started out with was "
Van Gogh and Gaughin" a book by Debora Silverman. (Library copy) Pairing Silverman's analysis of Van Gogh's painting and process with Van Gogh's own writing (how wonderful to see
Van Gogh's letters as he wrote them - the original script, in translation and with sketches!) on his process and observations was a good way
in to thinking about how I'd like to respond to the subject.
So many possible approaches! Van Gogh used the weavers as subjects for drawings and paintings. He also contemplated the weaving process (as he saw it) and related the craft, materiality, design choices, aesthetic, and "philosophy" to his own artistic and spiritual searches.
I find myself remembering
Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin from the MFA Boston. All that blue. I think of Van Gogh and indigo together - maybe it's just a cheap excuse to use the indigo that I love. The Postman, indigo, Sheila Hicks' woven letters (how did
they get into my brain?!), Van Gogh's letters - the
seen letters - (OK, maybe SH pieces got in there because I was thinking about letters?...) not any kind of linear process, that's for sure...
So, here we have our indigo and starting materials for a piece and I begin! To be continued...
