Ann
Matlock weaves intricate tapestries of subtly shaded natural forms.
She uses silk yarns that she dyes and spins herself. In all her
work, she seeks to convey a feeling that the weaving is just a fragment
of something larger, and not something contained by its edges. Matlock
has been a working artist for 22 years and has taught art at the
college level for the past 14. She now heads a fibers program at
Lamar University in Beaumont. She spends the academic breaks and
many weekends at her studio in Johnson City. Matlock is currently
exhibiting at D Berman Gallery.
Austin
American-Statesman: How did you become a weaver?
Ann
Matlock : I first learned to weave on a little frame loom that my
father made me when I was a little girl. Later, when I was working
on my MFA at UT-Austin, I learned to set up a floor loom and loved
the experience. Although the focus of my bachelor's degree had been
painting and photography, I made weaving, spinning and natural dyes
the focus of my graduate thesis.
How
long does your process take?
It takes
a very long time -- the textiles in this show represent three years
work. The tapestry and brocade techniques that I use allow me a
lot of freedom of design, but speed is not part of the process.
On one of the large pieces, I was able to weave less than an inch
in a long work day. The detail in these weavings is put there over
time with a lot of attention, so I never lose interest in the work,
and I hope that the people who acquire these tapestries also find
a lot to look at in them. . . . All of the woven work has a somewhat
three-dimensional quality, achieved by combining traditional tapestry
techniques with brocade stitches that I developed. The sculptural
quality of brocade adds to the sense of space in the work as well
as depth of color.
What
tools do you work with?
I use
two looms, one 72-inch wide and a smaller 24-inch portable loom.
I work on weaving only one project at a time. For spinning I use
an antique wheel made in Quebec about 150 years ago. I also use
many small tools -- shuttles, spindles, skeiners, bobbins and a
bobbin winder, and a large vertical steamer for setting dyes.
What
materials do you work with?
I used
silk for all of the work in the exhibition at D Berman Gallery.
I weave with four to five different commercially spun silks that
I import from Canada, as well as handspun silk yarns that I make
from three different types of unspun silk fiber. For larger work
-- I have made weavings up to 15 by 16 1/2 feet in size -- I use
wool, silk and mohair. This yarn is thicker than the silk and has
the boldness that large work requires.
Are
your weavings used in furniture or any objects besides wall mounted
art?
At an
earlier time in my career, I did more utilitarian work and wearable
work, but the ideas I have now seem to work best on the wall. The
exception is the occasional commissioned piece.
You
seem partial to plant forms. Why?
I have
also worked from sky, clouds and landscape, as well as some architectural
forms. I have made watercolors of plants, rocks, water and natural
landscape forms for many years. This has been my way of being focused
and learning from the natural world. The colors and gestures of
natural forms are an endless source of interest for me -- expressive,
but also abstract. I may use animal and human forms someday in my
work, but for now I find that I have more ideas that combine stylized
plant forms with abstract motifs.
Are
there other artists or periods that you study for inspiration?
Yes.
I am inspired by artists of many different periods. Painters and
photographers have taught me a lot. I also enjoy learning more about
the art of indigenous cultures, and the Precolombian arts of the
Americas.
Right
now, I am studying European textiles from the 14th to the 20th centuries
-- both printed textiles and weaving. Next week I will be in Morocco,
working with some textile workshops there and looking at everything
I can.
jscheidnes@statesman.com;
445-3974
Tapestries
by Ann Matlock
Ann
Matlock's new works are on exhibit at D Berman Gallery through June
18. 1701 Guadalupe St., 477-8877. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11-6
or by appointment. Prices for items in this show are $1,200 to $9,800.
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