Pablo Picasso once said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” We could perhaps all use some soul dusting right now.
So today, Huntsville Doppler is launching a new feature: Art Fx. Each week, we’ll share with you the work of a local visual artist. May their works inspire you, soothe you, make you think. If they resonate with you, be sure to visit the artists’ websites or social media channels to see more.
This week’s work was created by fibre artist Marni Martin.
“Repository of Memory” is a hand-dyed and woven tapestry measuring 36” x 24”.
“The swirling waters slowly shape and smooth the rocky shore and over the years the waters rise and fall revealing the rock that gives shape to the water,” writes Marni.
“I think of our memories, individual and collective, as a natural resource that we can use to guide and sustain us. Our memories can act as the water, shaping and transforming us or as the rock, giving shape and meaning to things around us.
“When weaving, I interpret my subject matter with textured yarns considering dimension and the way the light will fall across the surface and dance over the yarns.”
This piece has been selected for the American Tapestry Biennial 13. The exhibition was postponed due to COVID-19 but will open in Falmouth, MA from January 27, 2021 to March 27, 2021 at Highfield Hall and Gardens and will travel to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles in San Jose, CA opening July 18, 2021 to October 3, 2021. Juror Nick DeFord selected 37 tapestries from a total of 189 tapestries submitted to represent 10 countries.
Artist bio: In the solitude of her sunlit studio, Marni Martin weaves tapestries and other works in fibre directly inspired by the land she calls home. Huntsville, Ontario, situated in Muskoka, an area known for its natural rugged beauty and not far from Algonquin Park, offers endless visual metaphors to explore. It is this place that has shaped Marni’s work, and in her quest to embody its spirit, Marni has cultivated an aesthetic of her own using hand-dyed textured yarns that convey the qualities of the subject matter she is weaving. Within the perpendicular constraints of warp and weft, Marni creates undulating lines and expresses the energy emanating from the subject or place she is weaving. Marni graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and since 2000 has worked in her studio full-time creating works for commissions and exhibitions.
Her studio, at 725 N. Mary Lake Road, Huntsville, is open year-round by appointment. Find her online at marnimartinfibrestudio.com, on Instagram @marnimartinfibrestudio, or email her at [email protected].
Also see details on Marni’s newest creative endeavor, Indigo Rain Flower Farm, at indigorainflowerfarm.com.
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Marni,
This piece is magnificent. Good luck in the competition.
Kudos to the Doppler for this new series of articles “Art FX”. I will really enjoy them.
Eva
I have enjoyed your gorgeous artwork for years Marni!
This new piece actually moved me to tears.
Thank you for continuously enriching our world.
And also thanks for generously donating some of your beautiful creations for various fundraisers in the arts community.
Beautiful piece (as always) Marni
Great idea, Huntsville Doppler, this weekly showcasing of the work of our great artists! I plan to grok every one.
And terrific choice for #1. I LOVE Marni’s work, whether it’s fibre-realism like this one, or her gorgeous scarves.
Congrats for breaking into the American Tapestry Biennial, Marni, and I hope that leads to more great things! You totally deserve it.
That is truly amazing! Im sure the excellent photo doesn’t do the texture justice, but excellent all the same.
Best of luck in the exhibition…but this piece has a huge “wow” quotient.
Unbelievable! So beautiful! Hard to believe it’s actually a woven piece of art!