 |
| Sandra Brownlee, Weaving in progress, Pages Series #1 |
One of my dearest and most creative friends of all time is the Canadian artist, Sandra Brownlee. We studied together at Cranbrook Academy of Art in the early 80's, and I learned an enormous amount from her freshness, her curiosity, her generosity, and her openness to learning. A born teacher, she has taught itinerantly for many years, workshops mostly but also at Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (now Philadelphia University), Philadelphia College of Arts (now University of the Arts), and Nova Scotia College of Art & Design among other places.
She has been on my mind lately. I owe her a phone call, and we are always plotting to figure out how we can get together, since Halifax, where she lives, is an expensive plane ride away.
I looked her up online today with an idea to finding out her teaching schedule, and I found that she has won another prestigious award, this month. There is a Youtube video of Sandra musing as she works. Watching it made me fall in love with her all over again. Her philosophy is a simple one, in fact it is the same one I have for working: "Make a mark. See where it goes."
Here is the transcript from the video (taken from the Youtube site):
Published on Mar 4, 2014
2014 winner, Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts
Directed by Tim Wilson
Presentation of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Independent Media Arts Alliance
For more information, visit: ggavma.canadacouncil.ca
----------------------------------------
Sandra Brownlee -- Transcript
You have to begin. You have to make one row, one row of weaving. That's all you have to do. And then, you look at that row and you take the very first thought you have in your mind: "Oh, I am going to make the next row this way... then the next row this way." And it just starts to grow.
The way I basically proceed is: What I feel like doing, I do. I don't question it so much, I just do it. I often start my day in the studio with some kind of repetitive drawing exercise. So, here's another circle. This is made of soil from my vegetable garden, and I rubbed it with my hand into the paper.
I'm very tactile oriented and through touch and all my senses is how I access ideas and feelings... and knowledge, really. I've found a way of working that really suits me, which is this improvisational weaving. Very low tech. It's like I work with a limited palette of black and white usually, and a few tools. It's sort of like drawing and handwriting.
Almost the moment I sat down at the loom I felt at home. First of all, you have a piece of equipment that you're sitting at. You have a place to be. You have all these procedures. And it was just exactly what I needed as someone who gets quite distracted. It was just very calming for me, and it made me feel secure and all settled so that somehow, I was able to go deeper within myself. And at the same time, going beyond... using it as a way of somehow witnessing to life... my life.
Make a mark. See where it goes.
Directed by Tim Wilson
Presentation of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Independent Media Arts Alliance
For more information, visit: ggavma.canadacouncil.ca
----------------------------------------
Sandra Brownlee -- Transcript
You have to begin. You have to make one row, one row of weaving. That's all you have to do. And then, you look at that row and you take the very first thought you have in your mind: "Oh, I am going to make the next row this way... then the next row this way." And it just starts to grow.
The way I basically proceed is: What I feel like doing, I do. I don't question it so much, I just do it. I often start my day in the studio with some kind of repetitive drawing exercise. So, here's another circle. This is made of soil from my vegetable garden, and I rubbed it with my hand into the paper.
I'm very tactile oriented and through touch and all my senses is how I access ideas and feelings... and knowledge, really. I've found a way of working that really suits me, which is this improvisational weaving. Very low tech. It's like I work with a limited palette of black and white usually, and a few tools. It's sort of like drawing and handwriting.
Almost the moment I sat down at the loom I felt at home. First of all, you have a piece of equipment that you're sitting at. You have a place to be. You have all these procedures. And it was just exactly what I needed as someone who gets quite distracted. It was just very calming for me, and it made me feel secure and all settled so that somehow, I was able to go deeper within myself. And at the same time, going beyond... using it as a way of somehow witnessing to life... my life.
Make a mark. See where it goes.
Category
License
Standard YouTube License
Gotta go: time to call Sandra.
Those words are pure poetry. Substitute whatever your passion for "loom," and she nailed the meaning of life :)
ReplyDelete