The legendary weaver Anni Albers said “our tactile experiences are elemental” and that playful exploration of materials is essential to “regain a faculty that was once so naturally ours.” We will play with a wide variety of materials – paper, cardboard, foil, sticks, buttons, pebbles, seeds, wire, fibers, yarns and more – we will, in Albers words, “group them, cut them, curl them, mix them, finally perhaps paste them, to fix in a certain order.” The resulting exploratory collages will revitalize our sense of touch and lead to a deeper appreciation for the elemental importance of materials.
Next, we will explore materiality as it specifically applies to weaving – interlacing a broad range of diverse materials in a playful and experimental way. Then we will create an original woven composition from these experiments and discuss the tactile sensibilities we have gained as a result of our woven explorations.
