During the seven weeks of ‘Entangled’ we’ll focus on individual artists here on our blog. ‘some things looming’ is pleased to introduce: Doerte Weber
Where Ends Meet
I am a structural weaver using diverse, modern materials with old traditional patterns.
At the most elemental level, weaving consist of warp and weft, each running in a separate direction but intertwined. Lately, I have worked either with bast fibers, sticks, metal heddles or plastic wrappers in my art weavings.
Weaving with metal heddles was inspired by a visit to China, in particular Beijing with its glass skyscrapers, some looking like gigantic sculptures. They were glittering in the sky. And still there was part of the old city, buildings made of bamboo and wood. I started translating that into my modern day living pieces. When I came back driving through downtown Austin, I felt the same sense of surrounding on a much smaller scale. Even so we are miles apart, our big cities look very much the same.
The warp in my pieces consist of colorful cotton thread. The weft is tightly compressed plastic bags–– recycled newspaper wrappers from various places. Plastic bags from newspapers symbolize a connection to global events as well as to local happenings in our community. These bags are given to me by a vast network of people of whom I know only a few. These bags come in many colors, from very soft neutral to strong orange and turquoise with some lettering. The patterns infused into my pieces are traditional weaving patterns, providing texture to the flat surfaces and giving an assurance of familiarity and connection to our history. Even though the people who will see my installations will never meet the people who provided the materials, they are creating a community. One part would not be possible without the other.
I hope people will connect emotionally to my work and believe in our continued humanity which shows that we have more in common than what separates us.
Where Ends Meet
Where Ends Meet, detail
Unfinished
Unfinished, detail