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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