rt is often a deeply personal and individual process and career . Stories of odd , and even anti-social artists , pique public intrigue and many creatives make going against the grain a part of their brand and appeal . In visual arts , it ’ s common for a visual artist to spend years refining their style into something individual , distinct , and guarded . Fiber arts is different from many other types of fine art and craft , mostly for the inclusive culture that surrounds it .
Textile work has long been dismissed as simply crafts for women to enjoy , but has time and again proven essential to human survival , history , and development of culture . As times and technology change , so too does the place that textile work holds in our collective conscience . In a world increasingly steeped in fast fashion and consumerism , fine skills passed down for generations and the artists putting in many hours of work , feels refreshing , personal , and impactful . The women in this article are all defining the present and future of the craft with their work , and the way they show up for each other time and time again .
Fiber artists are rarely found by themselves . Creatives who paint in textiles and fiber often do so because of and in the company of others . Artists I interviewed were quick to name and praise other artists in their lives who encouraged or inspired them , more than artists I ’ ve interviewed from any other discipline . Fiber arts has a strong culture of community , collaboration , and sharing and trading of materials , equipment , and techniques . Some artists end up isolated from this community and culture due to things like the pandemic and geography , but it ’ s common for large areas to have more than one guild dedicated to fiber arts , generally a particular craft . Continuing this collaborative culture has been integral to the evolution and preservation of textile art forms , and each artist contributes to and benefits from it in their own way .
Allison Grove , a Montana fiber artist , takes most of her inspiration from the American West partially due to her upbringing in southwestern Colorado . She spoke of how her “ love for the weaving traditions of the desert Southwest ” inspired her to learn to weave , particularly “ after my sister began spinning and sending me exquisite handspun yarns .
“ Wooly Buffalo ” | Allison Grove
24 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE