WOODigit involves the control of over a hundred wooden units which, by moving to different heights, display numerals as in a programmed system. Instead of using microchips and electronic circuits to program, the mechanism had been woven as a big matrix with threads, and supported by a specially designed wooden structure and pulley system. The use of wood as a material and the loom-like structure of this piece refer to the renowned Jacquard Loom. The Jacquard loom with its punch-card system, used to store programs for complicated weaving patterns, inspired early computing machinery.
At an initial glance, Vander Kooij’s current exhibition, I want to tell you everything, seems confessional: an embroidered tell-all on a variety of household fabrics, including full-sized bed sheets. Serving as canvasses with a variety of opacity, these sheets range from plain white flannel to ones featuring toys from the ‘80s (think Smurfs, Star Wars and My Little Ponies). On these surfaces Vander Kooij tells us stories that are emotional, descriptive, and sometimes instructional, all in her unfailingly perfect, yet equally expressive, embroidery and appliqué techniques.
After a few minutes at the show, the notion of confession is set aside as the subtleties of Vander Kooij’s work come through. This is not an uncomfortable experience where someone you barely know has revealed too much and all you have done is nod and smile. Instead, in Vander Kooij we find an engaging conversationalist with a flair for wit and play. The ways that she initiates this dialogue are for me the most intriguing element of the show.
Sac Noir Hand embroidery on cotton. 27” x 23”, 2008. Note found on the street taped to a garbage can, enlarged and embroidered.
As one example, two of the show’s pieces (Telephoner and Sac Noir) are embroidered facsimiles of hastily scribbled notes found by the artist. Vander Kooij’s renditions capture the speed of the hands that wrote these notes in the original, mundane moments that they were created. That Vander Kooij’s has done so with the painstaking effort of a needle and thread in her own hand reifies the already unusual messages contained in the notes.
Rivalry, a colourful, quilted piece, serves up the same messages at two levels. I found myself intrigued by the details of the work and it wasn’t until I had moved along to the show’s final pieces that the macro level of Rivalry was obvious to me. It was then that I received Vander Kooij’s unexpected pun.
Misconception Embroidery and appliqué on vintage table cloth. 52.5” x 57.5”, 2008
One consideration of hanging large bed sheets in the middle of a gallery is that they have two sides, and Vander Kooij works this element to its full advantage. Part of the playfulness of the exhibition is finding yourself on one side of a sheet wondering how the other side looks. How visible are the stitches? Can you see any of the rough bits? Vander Kooij is a pro, so we only see what she wants us to. Misconception, the piece that had the greatest impact on me, is also the best example of this form of double-sided play. On one side we see an embroidered, expectant mother in a style from the 1960s. On the second side, we are privy to a view of the curious fetus growing inside the calm and seemingly oblivious woman on the other side.
Misconception (detail)
Because Vander Kooij’s playfulness tends to have us smirking or puzzling things out, it is possible to forget the fineness of the medium that she is working in. Bloom is a piece that showcases the beauty of Vander Kooij’s artistry. Although Bloom’s origins are notable, I find in this piece, one opportunity to pause and focus on Vander Kooij’s remarkable skills.
Leaving the show, I had the satisfying, full feeling of having shared a great conversation with a friend over a cup of coffee. Praise to Vander Kooij for initiating this unforgettable dialogue! I look forward to our next conversation.
submitted by Dianne Dechief
DIAGONALE Centre des arts et des fibres du Québec 5455, avenue De Gaspé, espace 203, Montréal, Québec H2T 3B3, Canada
Métro Laurier, sortie rue Laurier
Open Wednesday to Saturday, noon to 5:00 pm until November 29, 2008
Berg Publishers introduce The Journal of Modern Craft, “…the first peer-reviewed academic journal to provide an interdisciplinary and international forum in its subject area. It addresses all forms of making that self-consciously set themselves apart from mass production—whether in the making of designed objects, artworks, buildings, or other artefacts. The journal covers craft in all its historical and contemporary manifestations. It starts in the mid-nineteenth-century, when handwork was first consciously framed in opposition to industrialization, through to the present time, when ideas once confined to the ‘applied arts’ have come to seem vital across a huge range of cultural activities. Special emphasis is placed on studio practice, and on the transformations of indigenous forms of craft activity throughout the world. The journal also reviews and analyses the relevance of craft within new media, folk art, architecture, design, contemporary art, and other fields.”
There are a number of essays by contemporary thinkers, writers and makers addressing a variety of aspects of craft on the Canadian Crafts Federation website. These articles were commissioned by the CCF as part of their Craft Year 2007 celebration, a project overseen by Maegen Black (many thanks!!!) As many of us know, work that is not written about is invisible, and the CCF is owed a big thank you for their efforts to support and further critical dialogue about craft. While a few of the articles are media-specific, most are not, which is why I am sending the link to so many of you-makers, writers, educators, in the hopes that they will be of interest to you in your work and practice.
I also would like to personally thank those makers who generously allowed me to write about their work. It was a privilege to speak with and write about these artists. Be sure to check Bettina Matzkuhn’s article in addition to my discussion of her work. And please share this link with students, friends or anyone interested in contemporary Canadian craft.
Anthea Black and Nicole Burisch will present… CRAFT HARD, DIE FREE: RADICAL CURATORIAL STRATEGIES FOR CRAFTIVISM IN UNRULY CONTEXTS 7pm Wednesday, December 12 at TRUCK Gallery located in the Lower level of the Grain Exchange Building, 815 First Street SWin Calgary
While Craft historians, Feminist historians and fine craft practitioners argue for the recognition of craft within art and academic dialogues, crafty supplies are simultaneously mass produced and packaged as hobby-commodities for affluent consumers, and craft practices are appropriated into the mainstream marketing of alternative and DIY ‘lifestyles.’ In addition, the accessibility of global communication networks have contributed to the increased sharing of craft knowledge and skills, and created an overall democratization of crafting practices. The rise of Craftivism – which often values the radical potential of a particular craft rather than its finished end product – shifts traditional emphasis away from polished, professionally-made craft objects themselves and towards the political and conceptual focus, positioning, and deployment of this work. The rapid surge in Craftivist practices offers an opportunity for new approaches and discussions of feminism/crafts (wo)manship, queer crafting, tacit knowleges and skill sharing, DIY, anti-capitalism and activism.
This presentation is part of TRUCK Gallery’s Soap Box Series
Craft Perception and Practice Vol III, edited by Paula Gustafson, Nisse Gustafson and Amy Gogarty coming November 20, 2007“This third and final volume in the Craft Perception and Practice series features 21 essays and critical commentaries by acclaimed Canadian practitioners, educators and curators, demonstrating the range of critical thought about craft as presented in symposiums, exhibition catalogues and art journals.” (click on image above to read more)
Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice, edited by Amy Gogarty, Ruth Chambers and Mireille Perron “Utopic Impulses: Contemporary Ceramics Practice brings together ten essays and twenty artist projects to explore ceramics as a socially responsible practice. By framing particular ceramics practices as “utopic impulses,” this anthology envisions new and stimulating conceptions of how studio ceramics contribute to the social and political fabric of their time.” (click on image above to read more)
“An International Conference on the Crafts and Modernity. Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University is pleased to be hosting the NeoCraft conference, 23 – 25 November, 2007, as part of the Canadian Crafts Federation’s Craft Year 2007/Annee des metiers d’art.
The NeoCraft conference has been designed with the objective of furthur developing critical thinking, theory and history in relation to the crafts. It is the intention of NeoCraft to not only acknowledge the vital role the crafts play in our culture and economy, but to challenge the position of craft by creating a forum for lively exchange and debate.”
There are still spaces available for this exciting conference. A student rate is available. Your registration fee includes includes all papers, keynote speakers, reception,two breakfasts, two lunches, and bus tours. To download a PDF version of the registration form CLICK HERE.
Poplar Gallery.Online
CARE Canada
