surface design journal - spring 2013 - sample issue

1

e d i t o r i a l

COVER CREDIT: JANET ECHELMAN 1.26 (Installed over the Amstel River, Amsterdam, Netherlands) Spectra® high-tenacity polyester fiber, hand and machine knotting, 230' x 63' x 30', 2012-2013. Lighting design: Rogier van der Heide. Photo: Ben Visbeek.

Shown courtesy of the Amsterdam Light Festival and Studio Echelman.

Meshing Material and Science

Spring2013

The theme of Art and Science was last covered inthe Winter 2001 issue of Surface Design Journal.Since then, the fields of smart textiles and materialscience, in particular, have grown exponentially. Aswe struggle to deal with the excesses of humanconsumption and pollution, scientists and design-ers have focused on finding more environmentallyfriendly and energy efficient ways of making thematerials we use in daily life.

Groundbreaking research on everythingfrom energy-harvesting garments to biodegradablepolyester is taking place around the globe. Over adozen books on textile innovation have been pub-lished in just the last three years. Scores of well-funded schools, including the College of Textiles atNorth Carolina State University in the US and theTextile Futures Research Centre at Central SaintMartin’s College of Arts and Design in London, areleading the way to a better future.

This issue features the work of many artistsfor whom science provides endless creative inspira-tion. Jenny Leary, the Informed Source artist in thisissue studied at both of the above institutions inpursuit of her passion to create new forms of tex-tiles with magnetic properties. In the article, shespeaks poetically about the magical and metaphys-ical effect that scientific principles in action canhave on the viewer.

Lynne Bruning launches us into theMaterial/Science theme with a fascinating cross sec-tion of recent projects by emerging eTextile artists.Janet Echelman, our cover artist and 2013 SDAConference keynote speaker, discusses her quest to soften urban landscapes with supple netted

sculptures made with high-tech tools and materi-als. Wearing textile progress on her sleeve, so tospeak, is Anne Selby with a dazzling array of appar-el made with her award-winning Compleat ArashiShibori Wrapping Machine. Geraldine Ondrizekhas created a body of work that changes our per-ception of genetic anomalies and disease, produc-ing a new conceptual symbolic system. NathalieMiebach, the closing keynote conference speaker,interprets complex scientific data in colorful codi-fied structures made with basketry techniques.

Ancient sustainable surface design meth-ods are rediscovered by globe trekking weaver,dyer, and educator Catharine Ellis in “The Scienceof Natural Dyes.” Complementing this encouragingstory is the related exhibition Earth FriendlyAlchemy: Explorations in Natural Dyeing, one of several SDA-sponsored events at the conference in San Antonio, Texas in June.

For more practical applications of scientificresearch, Christina Conklin shares an awe-inspiringselection of textile innovations that are helping tosave the world. Studying the work of so manyartists, designers, and scientists committed to thecontemporary materials revolution has rechargedmy optimism for the future. I hope you feel thesame!

Marci Rae [email protected]

C o r r e c t i o nSDJ Winter 2013, Vol. 37, No. 2

On page 35, the location of Pae White’s large-scaletextile piece Metafoil was misidentified. This stun-ning jacquard curtain is permanently on display atthe Oslo Opera House in Oslo, Norway.

PAE WHITEMetaFoil (Installation view, Oslo Opera House, Oslo, Norway)Cotton and polyester thread, computerized jacquard weaving, 36' x 95', 2008. Shown courtesy of neugerriemschneider, Berlin. Photo: Eric Berg.

Copyright Surface Design Journal®. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

http://dev.surfacedesign.org/users/marci-mcdade

www.surfacedesign.org/2013conference

Surface Design Journal S

f e a t u r e s

Surface Design Journal

42

32

08 The Future of Textilesb y L y n n e B r u n i n g

14 Interview: Janet Echelman

20 Technology & Design: A Creative Alliance in Arashi Shiborib y A n n e S e l b y

26 The Science of Natural Dyesb y C a t h a r i n e E l l i s

32 Nathalie Miebach: Hurricanes, Roller Coasters, and Baskets b y S a l l y H a n s e l l

38 Geraldine Ondrizek: Chromosome Paintingb y J a n e C h i n D a v i d s o n

42 How Textiles are Saving the Worldb y C h r i s t i n a C o n k l i n

20

2


Spring 2013

3Spring2013

Volume 37 Number 3

52

d e p a r t m e n t s

48 Informed SourceJenny Leary

50 ExposureA gallery of recent work by SDA members

52 First PersonMichelle Samour

54 First PersonPhillip Stearns

56 In ReviewOlga de Amaral: Places

New York, New York

Anna Betbeze

North Adams, Massachusetts

The Knitting and Stitching Show

London, England

Beyond Function: Fiber, Fabric, and Finery

Santa Clara, California

2012 International TECHstyle Art Biennial (ITAB)

San Jose, California

66 In PrintWarp & Weft: Woven Textiles in Fashion, Art and Interiors

The Textile Reader

68 2012 Creative Promise Awards for Student ExcellenceKyla Mucci

Emily McIntyre

70 On DVDNatural Dye Workshops I & II with Michel Garcia


J a n e t E c h e l m a n

Interview

Janet Echelman builds living, breathing sculpture environments that respond to

the forces of nature—wind, water, and light—and become inviting focal points

for civic life. Named Architectural Digest’s 2012 Innovator for “changing the very

essence of urban spaces,” Echelman combines ancient craft with cutting-edge

technology to create permanent sculpture at the scale of buildings.

In a recent e-interview, Echelman discussed how state-of-the-art research,

tools, and materials have expanded the scope of her creative vision worldwide.

Surface Design Journal14


ABOVE: JANET ECHELMAN 1.26 (Installation view, Sydney, Australia)Spectra® high-tenacity polyester fiber, hand and machine knotting,

lighting, 230' x 63' x 30', 2011. Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski. BELOW: JANET ECHELMAN 1.26 (Installation view, Denver, Colorado)

2010. Photo: Peter Vanderwarker.

ABOVE: NOAA simulation of the tsunami that followed the 2010 earthquake in Chile, shortening the length

of the earth’s day by 1.26 microseconds. LEFT: JANET ECHELMAN Her Secret is Patience Detail, painted and

galvanized steel and cables, changing sets of recyclable high-tenacitypolyester braided twine netting, colored lighting with computerized

programming, hand and machine knotting, 100'�wide at top, 15' wide at bottom, 2009. Photo: Karie Porter.

The invisible grace and strength of wind currents has been a key component of yourwork since 1996 when you began making netted sculptures on the coast of India. As theEarth experiences more pronounced effects ofglobal warming, how has scientific researchinfluenced your designs?

I’ve been working on a series for threeyears called 1.26. It started in 2010 when I got acall from the City of Denver, host of the Biennialof the Americas, asking if I could represent the 35nations of the Western Hemisphere and theirinterconnectedness in a sculpture. I had no ideahow to do that, but I said “yes.”

I had been following the tragic earth-quake that had just occurred in Chile when I cameacross an article by a National Aeronautics andSpace Administration (NASA) scientist who mea-sured the effects of the earthquake on the entireplanet. I was surprised to learn that the earth-quake shortened the length of the day by 1.26microseconds by speeding up the earth’s rotation.It was hard to fathom how a physical event in onepart of the world could affect the flow of time—something I thought to be certain andinescapable. This became the catalyst for the artwork.

I then looked at the tsunami wave-height data gathered by the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Withtheir data set, my studio created a 3-D model ofthe tsunami’s amplitude rippling across theocean, which inspired my textile form. The resultwas my sculpture 1.26, its name referring to themicroseconds by which the day was shortened

Spring2013 15


16 Surface Design Journal

when the earthquake redistributed the earth’smass.

After North America, 1.26 traveled toSydney, Australia, in 2011 and Amsterdam,Netherlands, earlier this year. Because 1.26 ismade entirely of lightweight materials, it canattach to existing architecture without extra rein-forcement. Its soft surfaces are animated by thewind, its fluidly moving form contrasting with therigid surfaces of the urban surroundings. Atnight, colored lighting transforms the work into afloating, luminous form.

Your monumental yet gentle public art projects unite and energize the surroundingcommunities. Why do you think your work has had such an uplifting effect on so manypeople around the globe? I hope my art creates an invitation to listen to ourinner selves, and to connect us to one another ina public space. In that way, I hope my art can be atransformative element in our busy urban lives.

For Her Secret is Patience, my 145-foot-tallaerial sculpture in Phoenix, Arizona, I was inspiredby the region’s distinctive monsoon cloud forma-tions and the shadows they cast, in addition to forms

found in desert flora and the local fossil record.The nighttime lighting program I created

changes color gradually through all four seasons.I selected the color temperatures to provide a sense of relief to residents of this extreme climate, shifting to cool hues in summer andwarm tones in the winter. The lighting design also varies from night-to-night what portion ofthe sculpture is most illuminated, leaving someparts obscured in mystery, much like the phasesof the moon.

I was asked to create a “Zone of Re-com-posure” for travelers after they go through securityinside the San Francisco International Airport. I findcalm in nature; since airports seem to be completelydevoid of nature, I wanted to bring it in.

We did this by cutting three round sky-lights into the ceiling and suspending delicatelayers of translucent colored netting to createthree volumetric forms. Visually, the piece EveryBeating Second evokes the contours and colors of cloud formations over the bay and hints at thesilhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge. During theday, sun streams through the skylights castingshadows on the floor. At night, a program of shift-ing colored lighting makes the netting glow ascomputer-mechanized airflow animates thesculpture to suggest wind and the presence ofnature within Terminal 2.

I’ve been getting feedback that thesculpture is working—getting people to stop,look up, and slow down for a moment to contem-plate the phenomena.

How have new high-tech materials and state-of-the art 3-D modeling programs providedsolutions to the complex technical challengesunique to each location? After drafting a design, I work with engineers andarchitects to transform my simple sketches intoscale 3-D forms within a larger 3-D site model.These models help me to adjust the scale of myartwork to the human body and architecturalcontext until it evokes the feeling I seek.

We’re in the midst of a collaborationwith the design software company Autodesk.They are developing a tool that enables us todesign textile nets and exert the forces of gravityand wind on them. As an artist, it’s so exciting tobe able to draw out textile forms and very quick-ly understand how they will drape. With this newtool, the computer is giving me feedback in realtime that informs my design decisions—it’s pretty great.

“In early design phases, I try to disregard both inner and external critics…”


17Spring2013

All of my recent works are a combina-tion of machine and handwork. My studio useshandwork to create unusual shapes and irregularjoints to make lace patterns within the sculpture.Using proprietary aeronautical computer soft-ware written specifically for my work, panels aremade stronger with machine-tightened knotsengineered to withstand ice storms and hurri-cane-force winds.

We use different high-tech fibers for dif-ferent parts of the sculpture, just as a spider usesmany different types of silk for the various partsof its web. When we want to make large struc-tural spans with delicate rope sizes, we useHoneywell Spectra®, a fiber more than 15 timesstronger than steel. We use W.L. Gore when weneed 100% UV resistance. Tenara® architectural

fiber has exceptional colorfastness and resistanceto high temperatures, chemical reactions, andstress that allows the sculpture to withstand sunand wind over time.

Your 2011 TED talk has been translated into33 languages and viewed by more than a million people worldwide. Do you have anyadvice for artists striving to communicatetheir vision?When I started making art, my biggest challengewas learning to hear my inner voice. I began writ-ing and drawing with my nondominant hand,which gave me access to my more fledgling, vul-nerable ideas that were being overpowered bymy more conscious, skilled hand.

Once I began to pay attention to these

JANET ECHELMAN Her Secret is Patience (on display in Phoenix, Arizona) Painted and galvanized steel and cables, changing sets of recyclable high-tenacity polyester braided twine netting, colored lighting with computerized programming, hand and machine knotting, 100'�wide at top,

15'�wide at bottom, 2009. Photo: Christina O’Haver. Daytime view OPPOSITE PAGE. Photo: David Feldman.


JANET ECHELMAN Every Beating Second (Installation view at San Francisco International Airport) Powder-coated steel, colored fiber, skylights, terrazzo floor, computer-programmed airflow and colored light, braiding, knotting, netting,

total area about 15,000 sq. ft. (28.5'�x 83.5'�x 176.5'), 2011. Photo: Bruce Damonte.


"I hope my art can be a transformativeelement in ourbusy urban lives."


Spring2013 19

JANET ECHELMANWater Sky Garden (Installation view outside the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver, British Columbia) Tenara® architecturalfiber net forms hung from painted galvanized rings, cedar bridge, fountains, programmed lighting, total garden area about 75,000 sq. ft., 2009.

Photo: Christina Lazar Schuler.

new ideas, the biggest hurdle was learning howto respect them—by investing the attention andwork needed to develop them. This was difficult,but an important step in my growth as an artist.

When developing an idea, I remindmyself not to start with compromise. What wouldresult if I had no limits in resources, materials, orpermission? I’ve learned that many ideas mightbe more viable than they initially appear. Theyjust need a chance to mature and develop.

In early design phases, I try to disregardboth inner and external critics, imagining my goalas a reality, then working backwards to figure outall the steps needed to make it so. I use inspira-tion and look towards people who have accom-plished unimaginable ambitions.

If you start with yourself and make sureyou fully believe that what you’re doing will cre-ate positive change in the world, then you can goout and share your vision with genuine belief.Being authentic is the most important thingwhen communicating about one’s art.

Do you have any new projects on the horizon?Right now, I’m in the middle of the fabrication ofan exciting sculpture for the Matthew KnightArena at the University of Oregon in Eugene. The30-foot-long form composed of five intercon-nected smaller forms will highlight the role ofspectators and the interconnection of membersof the basketball team.

Construction has begun for my artworkPulse for Dilworth Plaza in Philadelphia. I’m excit-ed about how this work reshapes urban experi-

ence and uses a new material for me—water.Above ground, the artwork traces the pathwaysof the three subway lines that run beneath theplaza’s new fountain, revealing the urban circula-tory system like an X-ray. In real time, a data feedof train arrivals and departures will initiate themovement of 5-foot-tall curtains of “dry-mist”composed of atomized water particles illuminat-ed by colored light.

Where would you like to see your work in thefuture? My dream is to transform hard-edged cities withsoft, organic forms—to create spaces that fostercalm and contemplation. The question “How can Icreate this kind of change with something likesculpture?” is what pushes me. To this end, I’musing my new lightweight structural strategies tocreate a new kind of artwork that can easilyattach to the tops of existing skyscrapers, traverseurban airspace, and safely go above roads andpublic plazas.

I’m committed to interacting with peo-ple in the midst of their everyday existencebecause I don’t believe art should be separatefrom life. And I believe art can be a catalyst forchange.

Janet Echelman’s website is www.echelman.com. Shewill be the keynote speaker at in•ter•face, the 17thInternational Surface Design Association Conference inSan Antonio, TX (June 6–9, 2013). To read the brochureand register online, visit surfacedesign.org/2013confer-ence. To read the unabridged transcript of this inter-view, visit surfacedesign.org/newsblog.


www.echelman.com



http://www.surfacedesign.org/newsblog/textile-magnetism-an-extraordinary-workshop-experience-with-jennifer-leary


informedsource

Jenny Leary

In this world, there is no shortage of effects

or processes that our senses can register.

We see a portion of the electromagnetic

spectrum as color. We feel molecular vibra-

tions as temperature. We hear, taste, and

smell thousands of various phenomena. At

the same time, many aspects of the natural

world constantly unfurl around us without

our detection. Chiefly fascinating among

these effects that pass beneath our radar is

magnetism. Magnetic force has stoked mil-

lennia of investigation. Greek philosophers

revered magnetism. Chinese inventors

applied it as a direction finder, first for feng

shui and later for navigation. Today, our

computers use it as a language to write

data.

Since beginning to work with tex-

tiles, I have wanted to explore the relation-

ship between what is understood and what

is not. Textiles are artifacts of technologies

that have been mastered, and we take com-

fort in their familiarity. My particular ques-

tions are about how magnetism will endow

textiles with a sense of wonder. After mak-

ing a sample of velvet with steel pile whose

tendrils reach out in the direction of exter-

nal magnetic fields, I became interested in

finding more uncanny materials. I carried

out this research by acquiring ingredients

with magnetic properties and incorporating

them into textile-making processes.


49Spring2013

LEFT: The first magnetic fabric that fashion designer CLAUDIA LIGARIordered from JENNY LEARY was a sheet steel lace-like cloth, handmadewith a flexible latex grid. Shown here as a completed Ligari dress in

2011. Photo: Jonathan Riggs. Detail ABOVE.

Magnetic fields are basically frozen loopsof energy that can be shaped in a variety of ways.In the magnetic stripes of train tickets and creditcards, these loops exist as a dense sequence oflines. I print from them by using iron powder aspigment and liquid latex as the host sheet.Similar to a stamping process with ink or dye,magnetic printing works by gathering iron parti-cles into a pattern that can be transferred toanother surface, echoing the shape of the mag-netic field’s source. Creating coin purses out ofthis material is a way of provoking questionsabout security, visibility, encryption, privacy, data,technology, money, and value.

Many experimental textile artists useunconventional materials that have inherentlyextraordinary visual properties apart from theirinteractive potential. Although the final goalmight be embedded electronics or responsivematerials, our fabrics also carry aesthetic value.From 2010 to 2012, I made custom magnetic fab-rics for the London-based fashion designerClaudia Ligari. Working with a fashion designerwas illuminating. Each season brought new chal-lenges and ideas. The first was a meter of lace-likelatex netting that contained steel flakes on over athousand nodes.

Recently, I resumed base-level experi-ments in magnetizing fabrics with the Nano-Extended Textiles group led by Dr. Jesse Jur at

North Carolina State University in Raleigh—ground zero for industrial and scientific textileinnovation in the US. Access to state-of-artresources is helping to expand my range of met-als and polymers to obtain fabrics with signifi-cantly high magnetic field strength. We are alsoworking toward screen-printable magnets, mor-phing textiles, and information-storing fabrics.

My driving question continues to bewhether textiles—a field concerned with themanipulation of the material world—can addressthe intangible. Can we pattern that which eludesour understanding?

Jenny Leary will teach a 2-day pre-conference work-shop at in•ter•face, the 17th International SurfaceDesign Association Conference in San Antonio, TX(June 6–9, 2013). To read the article “Textile Magnetism:An Extraordinary Workshop with Jennifer Leary,” visitsurfacedesign.org/newsblog/. To read the conferencebrochure and register online, visit www.surfacedesign.org/2013conference.

—Jenny Leary holds a BFA in painting from CornellUniversity in Ithaca, New York, and an MA in Design forTextile Futures from Central Saint Martins, University ofthe Arts, London. She is currently pursuing a PhD atNorth Carolina State University College of Textiles inRaleigh. www.tx.ncsu.edu. www.ferrofabric.com

TOP: Jenny Leary’s samples of iron and latex fabrics made with magnetic field imprinting technique, 2009.

BOTTOM: JENNY LEARY Coin Purse Handmade with latex, iron powder, and magnetic-stripe data, 2009. Photo: James Hollerbach.


www.surfacedesign.org/users/jennifer-leary

www.tx.ncsu.edu

www.ferrofabric.com


www.surfacedesign.org/newsblog/textile-magnetism-an-extraordinary-workshop-experience-with-jennifer-leary


KERR GRABOWSKI

Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi Untitled 3Cotton mounted on canvas,dye, pastels, graphite, deconstructedscreenprinting, drawing, about 7" x 7" each, 2012. Photo: Daise Bankston.www.kerrgrabowski.com

SUSAN BRANDEIS

Raleigh, North CarolinaLost Language II: AncientTeachings Cotton, dyeing,resist dyeing, dischargescreenprinting, digital print-ing, stamped, pieced, handappliquéd, free-motionmachine-stitched, hand-embroidered and quilted,26.5" x 70", 2011.www4.ncsu.edu/~brandeis/

MO KELMAN

Providence, Rhode IslandMittWire, silk, cotton cord, sewn con-struction, shibori, 30" x 35" x 10.5", 2010. Photo: Chee-Heng Yeong. www.mokelman.com

E POSUREXCopyright Surface Design Journal®. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.

www.surfacedesign.org/users/susan-brandeis

www.surfacedesign.org/users/kerr-grabowski

www.surfacedesign.org/image/2-eyes

www4.ncsu.edu/~brandeis

51Spring2013

Artists represented on the “Exposure” pages are members of the SurfaceDesign Association (SDA); www.surfacedesign.org. This issue features thework of members who will teach pre- and post-conference workshopsduring in•ter•face, the 17th International Surface Design AssociationConference in San Antonio, TX (June 6–9, 2013). To read the brochureand register online, visit www.surfacedesign.org/2013conference.

KATHYANNE WHITE

Prescott, ArizonaForest BookDigital prints on: tyvek, watercolorpaper, recycled beverage cans, recycled printersplates, cheesecloth skins, lutradur, handmadeamate bark paper, and metal mesh; other materials: twigs, fired paper clay, encaustic,dyed cheesecloth, dyed burlap, loomed knittingpieces, waxed linen, crocheted wire, jute twineand hardware cloth, 48" x 64" x 24", 2012.www.kathyanneart.com

MARLENE TRUEColumbia, North CarolinaPocosin #1 Recycled tin cans, steel wire,Jax nickel black patina, cut, die formed,forged wire, RT die cut, silver soldered,.5” x 3.5” x 3”, 2011. Photo by the artist.www.marlenetrue.com

KIM EICHLER-MESSMER

Kansas City, Kansas7.28.10 Cotton, fiber reactivedyes, hand dyed, pieced, quilted,64" x 35", 2013.www.kimemquilts.com


www.surfacedesign.org/users/marlene-true

www.surfacedesign.org/users/kathyanne-white

www.surfacedesign.org/users/kim-eichler-messmer


New York, New Yorki nr eview

Reviewed by Nell Znamierowski

Olga de Amaral: PlacesNohra Haime Gallery

Places, an exhibition by Colombian artist Olga deAmaral at Nohra Haime Gallery in New York(September 13–October 31, 2012), was a breath-taking show of textured and patterned goldwalls. Viewers were captivated by an ever-chang-ing display of light reflected on 23 surfaces. Notall were gold leaf, but the sum total was a showthat will long be remembered for its shimmeringbeauty and inventiveness.

From her first appearance on the fiberart scene more than four decades ago, de Amaralhas always had a definite signature. The workproduced in her Bogotá studio reflects the Andesand the richness of early Indian art. I was intro-duced to this work in 1967 at the Jack LenorLarsen showroom in New York as a reviewer forCraft Horizons. The pieces were all created inboldly defined colors of two wool layers in slitweaving that interlaced to form a single struc-ture. Meant to be viewed on both sides, deAmaral’s wall hangings seemed to have a directconnection to the woven clothing of earlyAndean weavers.

Structure and color were the backbonesof her work from this very first exhibition. Sheperfected all of this starting in the 1950s withcollege architecture classes in her nativeColombia and weaving studies at CranbrookAcademy of Art in Michigan.

In the decades that followed, she hadmany solo and group shows around the world,received awards and commissions, and found

OLGA DE AMARAL Nudo 10 (Knot 10) Detail, gold leaf, linen, gesso,acrylic, 177.17" x 11.81", 2011.

© Diego Amaral, courtesy of Nohra Haime Gallery.

OLGA DE AMARAL Pueblo Q (Village Q) Gold leaf, gesso acrylic, linen, 39.37" x 78.74", 2012. © Diego Amaral, courtesy of Nohra Haime Gallery.


57Spring2013

representation in both museum and corporatecollections. All this time the work was evolvingbut never losing touch with the Andes. In 1971she showed her “woven walls,” large fabric struc-tures of plaited strips—the next step up from slitweaving. Small, three-dimensional, wrapped andcoiled sculptures made their appearance in 1973.I first saw gold leaf applied to her strip weaving in1982. Since then, this preferred color choice hasbecome very much her trademark. As de Amaralherself states, “Gold is the abstract of color.”

In Places, gold takes over the eye eventhough not every piece has a shimmery surface.All but three of the pieces follow a basic struc-tural plan. Narrow woven strips of linen are handstitched together and then covered with gesso toprepare for the final step of applying either gold,palladium (a variety of platinum), or acrylic paint.The accompanying video shows de Amaralspreading the metal and paint on with wide-open, bare hands.

The stitched strips form a canvas that isnever uniformly flat. In each artwork, the mannerof sewing these strips together varies to form animportant part of the compositional flow. Somestrips are sewn into swirl patterns or orb andrectangular shapes. The surface of Between Rivers4 reminded me of waves. On Pueblo O and PuebloQ, plaited areas alternate with swirls and othershapes. Some stitched strips bulge the cloth and

give the effect of hammered ancient gold. All thisbackground action results in an exciting, unevensurface for light to play on, and the piecebecomes an ever-changing illusion.

The majority of artworks are solid metallic in color, while others have acrylic paintdabbed along the edges or inserted betweensections as a counterpoint to the gilt. Three total-ly acrylic monochromatic pieces lack the signifi-cance of their gold and silver neighbors. Onewhite “wall” with additional color is a lovely textural piece but also recedes from its glowingcompetition.

As complex and labor intensive as mostof the wall hangings are, three sculptural piecesspeak to the simplicity and beauty of plain fiber.Thick hanks of fine linen yarn (painted gold,black, and an intense blue) hang from the ceilingby large loops that fall to pool on the floor.

Although visitors left the Manhattangallery bedazzled by the glitter and complexartistry, it is interesting to note that the genesisfor all of the work is in the artist’s natural andancient surroundings.www.nohrahaimegallery.com

—Nell Znamierowski is a retired textile designer, colorconsultant, and professor at the Fashion Institute ofTechnology in New York. She has written about textilesand related subjects since the 1950s.

Olga de Amaral: Places on display at Nohra Haime Gallery, New York, 2012. © Courtesy of Nohra Haime Gallery.


HistoryFounded in 1977, the Surface Design Association is an interna-

tional not-for-profit organization with an office in Sebastopol,

California. SDA seeks to raise the level of excellence in textile

surface design by inspiring creativity and encouraging inno-

vation through all its undertakings. Our current membership

of nearly 4000 national and international members includes

independent artists, designers, educators, curators and gallery

directors, scientists, industrial technicians, entrepreneurs, and

students.

Publications and Website

Surface Design Journal, the Association’s quarterly magazine,

offers in-depth articles on subjects of interest to contempo-

rary textile artists, designers, and other professionals in the

field. Each issue is designed around a theme relevant to sur-

face design and offers perceptive commentary unequaled by

any other peer publication. Accompanying each article are

full-color reproductions of work by leading-edge artists.

The monthly eNews spotlights time-sensitive information,

including exhibition opportunities and initiatives.

The online SDA NewsBlog features news of SDA member

activities, reports on events relevant to surface design, and

information on professional resources. The blog is located on

the SDA website (www.surfacedesign.org).

The website includes ongoing updates on SDA conferences; a

gallery featuring members’ artwork; an international calendar

of textile-related events; and a bulletin board listing opportu-

nities for exhibitions, grants and employment.

Conferences

The Surface Design Association sponsors major biennial inter-

national conferences as well as smaller regional and interna-

tional conferences. Programs feature distinguished speakers

offering perspectives on surface design, workshops and

demonstrations covering a wide range of contemporary and

historical techniques, exhibitions, fashion shows, vendor

expos, and other events. Conferences have been held at differ-

ent US and international locations.

Member Benefits

• Four issues of Surface Design Journal

• Ongoing SDA NewsBlog updates & monthly eNews

• National, international and regional conferences

• Networking opportunities

• Opportunity to submit images of work to the “Exposure”

section of the Journal

• Image Library for promotion of members’ artwork

• SDA Instructors Registry

• Promotion and representation of members’ work and

professional activities via the Journal, NewsBlog and website

• Free 30-word non-commercial classified ad

MEMBERSHIP/SUBSCRIPTION RATES

1 year $60 $_______

2years $110 $_______

3 years $155 $_______

Student 1 year (valid current identification required) $35 $_______

Library, organization, and school 1 year $100 $_______

Mailing Rates (per year):

USA no fee

Canada &Mexico $12 x no. of yrs. subscribing $_______

All Others $20 x no. of yrs. subscribing $_______

Contributions Above Membership

Supporting ($50-199) $_______

Sponsor/Professional ($200-499) $_______

Business/Benefactor ($500-999) $_______

Fellow ($1000-5000) $_______

$30 of dues ($20 for students) shall be for a one year subscriptionto the Surface Design Journal. Subscriptions are only available to Members.

TOTAL ENCLOSED (US Funds Only) $_______

NAME: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COMPANY/ORGANIZATION: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

STREET: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STATE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -DIGIT ZIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TEL: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EMAIL: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

� VISA � MASTERCARD

ACCOUNT NUMBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EXPIRATION DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SIGNATURE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Billing address if different than mailing address:

CARD HOLDER NAME: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

STREET: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STATE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -DIGIT ZIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Membership Order Form

DETACH—SEND/MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: SURFACE DESIGN ASSOCIATIONPO Box 360 Sebastopol CA 95473-0360Tel: 707.829.3110 Fax: 707.829.3285www.surfacedesign.org/membership

Surface Design Association

How did you hear about SDA?� Membership Brochure � Advertisement � Friend/Colleague

� Workshop � Conference � Retail Outlet � Other

www.surfacedesign.org/membership

surface design journal - spring 2013 - sample issue

Documents

lighting design

janet echelman

studio echelman

textile innovations

textile progress

body of work

sdaconference keynote

scientific principles