All are invited to the opening of Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber
Art from Lacemaking Techniques at the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton,
NJ. Yes, this exhibit that I have been working on for years is due to
open Sept. 23, 2018. The reception with wine and snacks is 3-5. I will
speak at 4. At 5 pm we will go out to the Toshiko Takaezu Terrace
where two of the large lace Urchins will be on display. Choi + Shine
will speak about the Urchins at 5. There will be food trucks and music
on the terrace and it will be a pleasant time to relax until 6:50 when
the sun goes down and the first lighting of the Urchins occurs.
Details can be found here:
https://hunterdonartmuseum.org/future-exhibitions/
There will be 41 works of art by 28 artists representing 11
nationalities. Forty of the works will be in either bobbin lace or
needle lace. I am thrilled that we have artists who were among the
pioneers of contemporary lace in the later part of the twentieth
century as well as new practitioners. Lieve Jerger’s Carriage of Lost
Love, a life size wire bobbin lace carriage, will be assembled in the
River Gallery, a rare opportunity to see this “work in progress” which
has been in progress since 1977.
The following works will be at the show, which runs from Sept. 23 to Jan. 6.
Manca Ahlin: Corona, a large lace doily with fiber optic cable
representing the sun and the potential of solar energy. Also, Mani
Lace Wall, a work based on her travels in Tibet. This has never been
exhibited before.
Jane Atkinson: Seableed, a new work in bobbin lace, never before
exhibited raising questions related to climate change.
Daniela Banatova: Danae, an abstract work in bobbin lace, suggesting a
matrix of cells.
Dagmar Beckel-Machyckova: Habitats of Hypocrisy, a new work in Czech
modern lace style addressing issues of food production.
J Carpenter: Citrinitis, a house shaped work in bobbin lace addressing
concepts of security and sanctuary provided (or not provided) by
domestic institutions.
Choi + Shine: The Urchins, large crocheted sea urchins in reticella
style, originally shone at the 2017 Marina Bay Ilight Festival held in
Singapore. They glow, and they move with the wind. You can stand in
them. The Urchins will only be on display September 23 until October
7.
Jill Nordfors Clark: Sepia Bowl, worked in needle lace with dyed hog
casing, a process based on Native American practice. When the hog
casing dries the piece becomes rigid.
Milca Eremiasova: Small Theatre, Church of San Salvador, Gothic
Window, Fountain, these are lace sketches from the collection of
Milca’s student Dagmar Beckel-Machyckova. It is a treat to have four
pieces from one of the greatest Czech lace artists of the late 20th
century.
Pierre Fouche: Judgment of Paris II, part of his triptych in which he
combines bobbin lace with macramé to make figural pieces often drawn
from newspaper and internet photography.
Laura Friesel: Winter, a “lace painting” in bobbin lace based on a
classical Japanese poem by Minamoto no Sanetomo.
Alex Goldberg: Invisible Place, bobbin lace made in Monofilament
“invisible thread” from 19th century patterns. The invisible lace is
visible only in shadow on the wall.
Maggie Hensel-Brown: Staring into the Void, Not Hungry, Just Bored,
Coping Mechanism II: Get Stoned and Watch Boats, Dancing the Dance of
the Special Boy for Sixty Seconds or Less. The artist uses punto in
aria technique associated with heroic laces of the 17th century to
depict unexceptional moments.
Agnes Herczeg: II-34, inspired by prehistoric art, the artist combines
needle lace and plaiting in this image of a woman which is built into
the crook of a twig.
Ros Hills: Purse 2 and I am woman, two pieces exploding in color and
texture in needle lace by the artist whose work “Purse” was bought by
the V & A for its collection.
Veronika Irvine: Triaxial Arrowheads, Bee Prepared, Delle Caustiche,
three works by mathematician Veronika Irvine whose computer-generated
grounds are one of the most interesting new innovations in bobbin
lace.
Nava Lubelski: [a cast of my left hand in the shape of a] glove, in
which the artist has worked around her left hand using her right hand
to stitch with and including found objects to create an
impressionistic glove.
Dorie Millerson: Airplane, Taxicab, Catboat. These three tiny
sculptures in needle lace engage in shadow play when installed in a
corner. The artist created “Catboat” especially for this exhibit
because it is a boat that is significant to New Jersey in its history
as a working boat, and as a recreational boat.
Penny Nickels: Just Girly Things and The Jersey Devil. Just Girly
Things, in its debut appearance, adopts a gros point style to explore
the artist’s feelings about a particular internet meme. The Jersey
Devil also makes its debut appearance, appropriately, in the state
that it haunts. The New Jersey folklore demon, the Jersey Devil, is
depicted in needle lace taking over 1500 hours to make. The result is
a very
