What is Fiber Art?

Humankind has worked with fibers in some form or another since the dawn of civilization, and fiber remains such a massive part of our daily life that we simply don’t think about it much anymore. We wear it, we sleep on it, we use it to decorate our homes and add comfort to our lives. Fiber work is everywhere.

Fiber art, on the other hand, is a relatively recent development, with the term coming into use by art historians in the years following World War II. For the majority of our history, fiber has been a precious resource, much needed for producing clothing and utilitarian textiles. Advancements in technology, the production of new kinds of synthetic fibers, and the impact of machinery on the speed and affordability of textile manufacturing eased the pressure on purely practical applications of fiber. Artists began experimenting with the medium, and the 1960’s and 1970’s saw revolutionary advancements in the art. Where textile arts encompass both functional and purely decorative work created with fiber, fiber art as a term specifically refers to work in the fine arts. These are the pieces you would see in gallery exhibitions or use to decorate your home.

Adore by Latifah Shakir

Many fiber arts have their origin in historically practical fiber craft. Macrame, a popular decorative art that involves knotted string, evolved into its modern art form from a 13^th-century Arabic technique used for finishing cloth. Artistic weaving, which often incorporates non-traditional materials or explores a range of textures within its fibers, uses similar techniques used by the weavers who have worked since the time before recorded history.

Fiber art is in many ways a natural progression of humankind’s relationship with fiber. We have always sought beauty in our textiles, from dyes to embroidery to embellishments. It’s a small leap from there to exploring the limits of fiber from a purely aesthetic perspective. In the late 20^th century, the fiber art revolution saw the return of lost art forms, like cinch weaving, and the development of entirely new forms, like dry needlefelting.

Our next gallery exhibition, By a Thread: Contemporary Voices in Fiber, showcases the huge range of fiber art applications and the creative visions artists in the modern era have executed using this ancient medium with fresh approaches. Quilting, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and more are transformed from their origins as utilitarian crafts into visionary works of art. The exhibit features sculptures, self-portraits, culturally important costumes, abstract pieces, and even a piece originally exhibited at the Smithsonian. It’s a can’t-miss exhibit, offered free and open to the public.

In honor of By a Thread and the world of Fiber Arts at large, we will be exploring aspects of humanity’s relationship with fiber in this blog. Additionally, we are also hosting a one-day-only Fiber Fair, a celebration of the history of fiber craft. Demonstrators will showcase things like the process of turning raw fiber into thread, dyeing with indigo (an ancient natural dye material), and sewing bowls out of rope. You can even meet some angora rabbits, one of the modern sources of natural fiber (you shear the rabbits like sheep)! The event itself is free, and we have some limited seats in three make-and-take workshops that give you a little more in-depth instruction and hands-on experience. Make sure to reserve your spot soon!