Titbits of information have been lost between languages for as long as anyone can remember, but this loss does not lie exclusively in the spoken and written word. Textile artist Sue Lawty sees tapestry weaving as another language in which nuances inevitably disappear when we try to discern its meaning. Thankfully through her innovative approach to textile art, she is committed to retrieving it.
“Tapestry has traditionally been spoken about in the language of other disciplines,” she explains to Selvedge, “notably paint and also drawing, sketching, print – to be a translation of other formats.” Focussed on developing a language that is exclusive to tapestry, Sue’s on-going work zooms in on material first and foremost, using it as a way to unearth an ambiguous accent inherent to textiles. By submerging herself in textile's unknown possibilities, her woven works begin to open up a whole new world of artistic significance.
Minimalist in her aesthetic, Sue’s work is easily linked to the famous stripped-down paintings of Agnes Martin, however she is known to many primarily as the incentive behind a lot of land art. “The stone drawings are a new territory of expression,” Sue says, “but one I see as integral to my preoccupations in tapestry; the land, time, rock, stone; small elements finely controlled.” She continues, “I always think that the hardest thing about weaving a tapestry is the very first row. It’s a scary and precarious moment. In the studio I like to work intuitively – making decisions based on what has been laid down previously. It’s a two way process – a dialogue between the artist and the work.”
Tapping into a level of intense concentration is at the heart of Sue’s very sensitive and attuned approach to weaving. According to this ethos, to reap the many subtle rewards of textile art, every maker must be open and willing to learn this new language through a meditative intuition. Then, what is lost in translation can be regained.
Sue Lawty will be teaching a tapestry weaving workshop during London Craft Week at the Selvedge Craft Spa, 5 May 2017. Click here for more information, and to book a place: http://www.selvedge.org/shop/may-5-selvedge-craft-spa
