Fiber

Photography, Fiber, Installation

Vignette: Sarah Kinslow

"Parachute Room" by Sarah Kinslow, 25x14in, still frame of cinemagraph (2016), $100 | BUY NOW

"Parachute Room" by Sarah Kinslow, 25x14in, still frame of cinemagraph (2016), $100 | BUY NOW

Artists change over time. As a student in LVA’s Children’s Fine Art Classes, Sarah Kinslow was adept at highly detailed pen & ink drawings, the highlight of a portfolio that earned her a scholarship. Now in art school, she has shifted into fiber as a medium: “From a young age I was introduced to the art world via textile crafts such as crocheting, knitting, embroidery, cross-stitch, and many other processes. This was part of my everyday life and it impacted the trajectory of my career path early on. Through these processes I have been able to express myself and look to other artists following the same lines.”

Like many artists that work with fiber, Kinslow has an acute awareness of the history and heritage of these techniques as, "woman's work" or as menial household activities that, however important to daily life they might have once been, they were not by any means considered art.

“I want my work with textiles to give the viewer a different perspective, and provide them a place visually or physically to see that these realities are not what we may perceive them to be. They are to question what impact they themselves have on to the pieces, such as my installation work, and what their presence does to the work and their impact on their own reality.” 

Who wouldn’t welcome the opportunity to revisit the tent forts of their childhood? Kinslow’s installations are at once modern and traditional, anachronistic yet cozy. By building space that invites a viewer to sit in quiet contemplation, she explores the layers of meaning in the word “comfort” and reconnects us to the fundamental touchstones of family with a sure sense of place. The larger cultural associations can run even deeper, with the universality of a tented enclosure found in enough history to provide a common thread of understanding.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 20
Education: Currently a student at the Kentucky College of Art and Design at Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky for a BFA in Painting/Drawing and Pre-Art Therapy.

"A Place For Contemplation #2" by Sarah Kinslow, 30x20in, digital photo of installation (2016)

"A Place For Contemplation #2" by Sarah Kinslow, 30x20in, digital photo of installation (2016)

"Exploration #4" by Sarah Kinslow, 6x10in, monotype dry point print (2016)

"Exploration #4" by Sarah Kinslow, 6x10in, monotype dry point print (2016)

"Fluidity" by Sarah Kinslow, 20x14in, digital print (2016)

"Fluidity" by Sarah Kinslow, 20x14in, digital print (2016)

Sarah Kinslow (2016)

Sarah Kinslow (2016)

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Fiber

Vignette: Maria Tinnell

"Queen of Hearts Secret Garden" by Maria Tinnell, 6x6x7.7in, coiled linen basket (2016), $524 | BUY NOW

"Queen of Hearts Secret Garden" by Maria Tinnell, 6x6x7.7in, coiled linen basket (2016), $524 | BUY NOW

Maria Tinnell is a fiber artist whose focus is on coiled basketry. She creates her work by wrapping unwaxed linen thread over a braided nylon core, stitching each coil to the next as she proceeds.

Tinnell arrived at this process after exploring a wide variety of approaches to textile art, falling in love with the linen and the surprising durability it brings to her work. The basket as a form carries expectations of functionality that makes the use of fiber materials a small surprise, but these baskets are impressive for the balance of strength and aesthetic appeal, with designs of strong color and pattern that blend traditional and contemporary sensibilities.

"Secret Garden Wearable Basket Necklace" by Maria Tinnell, 4x3.5x2.25in, coiled linen basket (2015), $84 | BUY NOW

"Secret Garden Wearable Basket Necklace" by Maria Tinnell, 4x3.5x2.25in, coiled linen basket (2015), $84 | BUY NOW

“I love making coiled baskets; they are simple and natural. Stitching by hand I do not require loud machines or protective gear, just my hands, needle, thread, and maybe some beads. Historically, baskets have been both basic and decorative. They can help tell a story, record important occasions, and pass guarded messages.

In addition to stand-alone baskets, I have created wearable baskets combining beadwork to match the colors of the linen. I integrate beads and other objects within the baskets. I began experimenting with oral and leaf shaped beads to create draping coils, and I am currently working on baskets with a focus on nature's patterns. Butterfly wings, ladybug and bumble bee patterns, as well as floral and leaf patterns.”

Tinnell’s work has been featured in Arts Across Kentucky and Louisville Today magazine. She has been a Member of LAFTA since 1999 and currently has work at Craft[s] gallery on Fourth Street.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 55
Education: BFA with major in textiles, University of Louisville
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mtbaskets

"Callalilly Wearable Basket Necklace" by Maria Tinnell, 4.5x4x3in, coiled linen basket (2015), $100 | BUY NOW

"Callalilly Wearable Basket Necklace" by Maria Tinnell, 4.5x4x3in, coiled linen basket (2015), $100 | BUY NOW

Are you interested in being on Artebella? Click here to learn more.

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

Please contact josh@louisvillevisualart.org for further information on advertising through Artebella.

Please contact josh@louisvillevisualart.org for further information on advertising through Artebella.