Cathy Bolding
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1947, Ft. Sill, Oklahoma
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006 By the Hand: A National Juried Exhibition of Traditional and Innovative Craft, Bedford Gallery, Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA
2004-05 CraftForms 2004, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
Fibeart International 2004, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
2004 Material World: Contemporary Fiber Art, Target Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2003 The Wichita National 2003, The Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
Crafts National 2003, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA
Craft Houston 2003, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX
Crafts National 37, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA
Innovations in Fiberart, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA
Transitions: New Fiber Works, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2004 American Craft Magazine, December '04-January '05
Fibrearts Design Book VII, Lark Books, Ashville, NC
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My current work begins with my photographs, many of which were taken at the University of California Botanical Gardens. The plants in their collection from all over the world provide me with endless inspiration.
The goal of this body of work is to combine weaving and photography in a way that challenges both media. Previously, I had taken photography classes and had used photographs in work that I created using silkscreen on fabric. What I really wanted to do, however, was to create artwork in which the image was not merely on the surface, but integral to the structure of the piece. My recently acquired AVL/TIS jacquard handloom is the ideal tool for doing this.
My process employs a digital camera and Adobe Photoshop to create images that will impart a strong visual impact when woven. Then, using a CAD program called ArahWeave and weave structures I have designed, I translate each photograph into a digital weave file used in controlling the jacquard loom. During the actual handweaving process, the gradual appearance of the image is both exciting and satisfying.
I draw upon my background in mathematics, computer programming, photography and weaving. I studied mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Case Western Reserve University. I also worked as a computer programmer and statistical analyst before returning to school the California College of the Arts, where I received an MFA in Textiles.
All this experience informs my recent work. Using computer-aided design and a variety of materials, I am able to produce weavings that are both highly complex structurally and rich with surface interest. I translate my photographic images of plant forms into wall pieces that resonate with both the art of photography and the long history of textile creation.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2008 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006 By the Hand: A National Juried Exhibition of Traditional and Innovative Craft, Bedford Gallery, Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA
2004-05 CraftForms 2004, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
Fibeart International 2004, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
2004 Material World: Contemporary Fiber Art, Target Gallery, Alexandria, VA
2003 The Wichita National 2003, The Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KS
Crafts National 2003, Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA
Craft Houston 2003, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX
Crafts National 37, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA
Innovations in Fiberart, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol, CA
Transitions: New Fiber Works, Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2004 American Craft Magazine, December '04-January '05
Fibrearts Design Book VII, Lark Books, Ashville, NC
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My current work begins with my photographs, many of which were taken at the University of California Botanical Gardens. The plants in their collection from all over the world provide me with endless inspiration.
The goal of this body of work is to combine weaving and photography in a way that challenges both media. Previously, I had taken photography classes and had used photographs in work that I created using silkscreen on fabric. What I really wanted to do, however, was to create artwork in which the image was not merely on the surface, but integral to the structure of the piece. My recently acquired AVL/TIS jacquard handloom is the ideal tool for doing this.
My process employs a digital camera and Adobe Photoshop to create images that will impart a strong visual impact when woven. Then, using a CAD program called ArahWeave and weave structures I have designed, I translate each photograph into a digital weave file used in controlling the jacquard loom. During the actual handweaving process, the gradual appearance of the image is both exciting and satisfying.
I draw upon my background in mathematics, computer programming, photography and weaving. I studied mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Case Western Reserve University. I also worked as a computer programmer and statistical analyst before returning to school the California College of the Arts, where I received an MFA in Textiles.
All this experience informs my recent work. Using computer-aided design and a variety of materials, I am able to produce weavings that are both highly complex structurally and rich with surface interest. I translate my photographic images of plant forms into wall pieces that resonate with both the art of photography and the long history of textile creation.