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162 Springcrest

Smith, Allison Hope
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524231199349606

Abstract Details

2018, MFA, Kent State University, College of the Arts / School of Art.
Weavings are formed through a gradual accumulation of threads inserted sequentially over time, fostering a connection between the materials and weaver. I am inspired by women of ancient Greek mythology who overcame adversity through their craft of weaving. Penelope sat at her loom weaving by day and secretly unweaving by night to stay off untimely decisions. Sisters Procne and Philomela communicated across borders through messages hidden in woven tapestry. Arachne was transformed into a spider by the goddess Athena so that she would weave for all eternity. Through the process of creating their textiles, these women exhibited considerable emotional strength and artistry, which I draw upon to bring their resiliency and feminine legacy into my own work. I use the loom as a conceptual tool, finding meaning in the metaphors associated with the process of weaving in conjunction with the physicality of the materials. My understanding of textile processes allows me to utilize the vocabulary of weaving to create textural cloth. Experimenting with compositional elements, I blur the line between foreground and background through the intersection of color and weave structures. Weaving is a form of three dimensional drawing, allowing me to delve into the pictorial and dimensional planes simultaneously. When complete and presented on the wall or suspended in space, the weavings read as eloquent objects of texture, color, and rhythm. While the ancient myths motivate my enthusiasm for the process, my use of decorative motifs was informed by my interest in the pattern and decoration movement of the 1970s. This group lead by women artists, placed value on pattern, craft, and ornament. They utilized complex pattern and shape relationships and upheld the decorative and feminine aspects of their work. Like them, these characteristics are important to me in my work. Through embracing the traditionally feminine activity of weaving and its rich history, I am connecting to the myriad generations of female weavers before me.
Janice Lessman-Moss (Advisor)
Gianna Commito (Committee Member)
Peter Johnson (Committee Member)
57 p.
Fine Arts; Folklore; Interior Design; Museums; Textile Research
textiles; weaving; handwoven; decorative; digital jacquard; dyeing; contemporary; domestic; wallpaper; mythology; women; craft; woven; art; artwork; gradient; nostalgia; gallery; exhibition; pattern; home decor; 1970; interior; home; structure; fiber

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, A. H. (2018). 162 Springcrest [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524231199349606

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Allison. 162 Springcrest. 2018. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524231199349606.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Allison. "162 Springcrest." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1524231199349606

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1524231199349606
228
© 2018, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License 162 Springcrest by Allison Hope Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.