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Weaving a Blend of Three Cultures
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12168 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1987 |
2,198 Words |
| Author
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Joanne Tallarovic
Joanne Tallarovic is a professional weaver, author, and
teacher, specializing in rugs and decorative hangings on
commission. |
Artists seem driven to create. The inspiration that influences how and what they create comes from many sources. With diverse backgrounds, experiences, and personalities, the results can be varied, complex, and unique. Even the medium chosen to express that drive influences the result.
As a professional weaver, I have most often been influenced by the weaving styles of Native American, Swedish, and African cultures, though many other cultures have certainly had a bearing on my work. I realized this after many years into my weaving career, as I searched to identify the style in which I created. Then it became so apparent that I wondered why I had not recognized the influences earlier. Until I was asked to identify my style, I had been satisfied with the results I was achieving and never needed a label.
Puzzle Takes Shape
In retrospect, it's easier to put the influential pieces into the whole creative puzzle. At the age of six, I moved with my family to west Texas. My father traveled the Southwestern states covering the oil fields, and we often accompanied him. I saw Navajo weavers at remote trading posts on the reservation. I remember being fascinated by them and their craft. This was my first exposure to weaving, and its subtle impact was to surface years later.
One day, during my sophomore year at the Cleveland Institute of Art, I wandered into the school's Weaving Department. Awed by the variety of equipment and the mechanical aspect of the looms, I changed majors immediately and began a career in weaving. My education in
... (1993 of 12496 Characters)
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