Buffalo State College is known for its fantastic arts program. As we gear up for another class of eager graduates ready to show the world what they’ve got, one student in particular caught my attention. Stephanie Abelson, a fiber design major, is one of many talented students holding a solo gallery exhibit to showcase their skillful, creative work. Stephanie’s exhibit, warped works, will debut this Friday at 464 Art Gallery on Amherst Street. Her showing will demonstrate how fiber art can be translated into wearable art, in addition to more traditional stylings. However, unlike the Bachelor of Fine Arts majors, as a Bachelor of Science candidate, Stephanie is not required to hold her own exhibit prior to graduation.
Instead, she has chosen to hold a gallery opening not because it is required of her, but because she “wanted to try her hand at it” and feels this is an important and necessary first step to get exposure and launch her career in art. Beyond the hard work that goes into actually conceptualizing and then creating the pieces for the exhibit, don’t forget the tall task of actually putting the event together and, in particular, the marketing and promotion of it. Ambitious, don’t you think? This is my kind of girl.
So what is fiber design exactly? Fiber design is all about how the artist works with fabric, using different techniques such as weaving, dyeing and silk screening to make something new out of the original fabric. What Stephanie has focused on–and what you will see at her exhibit–is putting a new spin on traditional fiber techniques, including the deconstruction or removal of color from fibers rather than simply adding color with dyes. She has used bleach (something that is not a common practice, despite whatever experiment you may have done to your jeans when you were 15), the chemical thiox and discharge paste as a means to strip the fiber down of its original color and reveal a different array of shades.
Stephanie’s most recent work which she is showcasing at warped works focuses on this expulsion approach and the merging of different materials to enhance distorted hues of the fabric left behind after expulsion. What is most interesting about this deconstruction technique is that the artist doesn’t know what the end product will be until they see it for themselves. That is, each time they do this to a fabric, even if it’s the same fabric or the same technique used to strip the fabric, it yields different results. To me, this is the sheer definition of one-of-a-kind and is something that art collectors or enthusiasts require, if not demand.
Something to note about this art form is that fabric designers don’t typically create garments; rather, they create or change the fabric itself that would then be used to create clothing or wearable pieces. This is yet another aspect of how Stephanie is different from other artists in her field: while she mostly creates framed pieces with her fabric, she has gone outside of this realm and has also created wearable art in the form of scarves and neckties. She recently created a signature
vest–titled “Syke!”–that gives a feathered dimension to the garment by weaving together window screens. Yes, window screens (see lead picture). Additionally, Stephanie used a batik technique on the vest, where wax is applied to the fabric to resist the dyeing or bleaching (the lining was bleached into a vibrant copper color). The warped works exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will feature the garments just described plus Stephanie’s framed pieces. The framed art is a mix of utilizing various fabrics and incorporating the “devoré” technique, which removes the synthetic materials from the fabric, leaving only its natural elements behind.
As Stephanie explains, “In the search for my own voice, I have created a unique, distressed body of work that unites raw and organic forms with synthetic materials.”
All items at warped works will be for sale, with the garments ranging from $30-50, the framed pieces ranging from $15-450 and the vest for $500.
The “Syke!” vest is of significance not only for its unique and unusual construction, but it has also been selected to be in the Buffalo State fashion show, Runway 3.0, and, even more notably, was chosen by a panel of artists and design experts to be featured in “The Walk in Beauty” fashion show at the Handweavers Guild of America‘s Convergence 2010 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico this summer. This week-long conference will gather leading fiber artists and designers from around the world to showcase selected work, hold workshops and essentially network with and learn from one another.
Stephanie, being the self-motivated businesswoman that she is, already has an Etsy page established where you can view and purchase her work. Additionally, you can follow her on Twitter and gain insight on the latest in fiber art, jewelry-making and other “craft” art, as well as hear about Stephanie’s own work and ongoing efforts to bring her art to the public.
Fascinated as I was about this new art form I’ve never heard of, I spoke to her at length about what got her on this path and what made her choose fabric design as a focal point amongst the myriad of other artistic options out there. I felt she touched on it best when she was actually referring to why she chose warped works as the name for her first solo exhibit.
“‘Warp’ refers to the bend or turn from our natural or true direction – the distortion from truth and the discovery of what lies beneath,” Stephanie explained. “I feel the technical processes used in my work relates to the relationship we have with ourselves. By looking beyond the surface, stripping down our layers and searching within, we can find our true colors.”
And what does her work say about the relationship she has with herself?
“I don’t like sticking with one thing,” she laughs. “I’m all over the place!”
Well, what artist isn’t? That’s what makes their work interesting, exciting and multi-dimensional. In a word, that’s exactly why it’s art.
warped works
Fiber Art by Stephanie Abelson
April 30 – May 6, 2010
Admission: FREE
Opening Reception
Friday, April 30, 6 – 9 pm
Exhibit Hours:
Saturday, May1, 11 am – 6 pm
Sunday, May 2, 11 am – 5 pm
Tuesday-Thursday, May 4 – 6, 12 – 6 pm
464 Art Gallery
464 Amherst Street
Buffalo, NY 14207
Image credits: Stephanie Abelson