Friday, February 12, 2010

Call To Felting Artists!!

     In case you haven't heard, Lark Books is seeking submissions for their next 500 book - 500 Felt Objects!  Submissions have to be postmarked by tomorrow, so there is still time if you have images ready to go.

Lark Books seeks images from artists/designers across the globe for publication in a juried collection showcasing felt objects. Categories in the book will include Garments, Jewelry, Furniture, Bags, Art Pieces, Headwear, Functional Items/Home Décor, Floor and Wall Coverings, and more. Felt must be the focus of all work, but other materials are allowed. While Lark usually features hand-made work, for this book, innovative designs in industrial felt are acceptable.

     Download the submission guidelines and entry form here .   The link is at the bottom of the page.  Good luck!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Exploring Shelter - Facade


                                                            Facade

        The true self will always seek to be realized, no 
matter how neat, tidy - and comfortable - the facade.


             Merino wool, hand-dyed, resist and wet-felted
                                     Photograph by Douglas Foulke



     I recently began exploring the concept of shelter.  Not so much a direct representation of the physical structure of shelter, but more the psychological structure of shelter and how that might then be represented as a physical form.  The ways in which we seek shelter psychologically can be at times beneficial and other times not, and still other times, it can be both at once.
     This piece is the first in my exploration. Equally biographical as it is observational, its aim is to convey the struggle created between the facades we choose to wear and who we genuinely are.  Facades we wear for work, facades we wear for friends, facades we wear for family.  And yes, even the facades we wear for ourselves.
     But what is the risk when we choose to wear a facade for ourselves?  My belief is that the true self will always yearn to be realized, no matter how hard we try to hide it.  Eventually that struggle will come to the surface, perhaps even with a bit of emotional pain.
     Sure, we all have to play different roles daily and often the shelter of a facade is born out of necessity to exist within the framework of those specific roles and environments.  But when we wear a facade for ourselves, dare I say, in front of our own person, who are we hiding from, and more importantly, why?  What is it that we are unable to face square on, who is it that we deny and why is it so much easier to don that precious facade in the first place than embrace our true self?  In particular, to our own person.