Nature in the Making

Outstanding fabrics at B2

The Weekly Volcano, July 3, 2014

 

"Growth Forms" by Stacey Harvey-Brown

Three outstanding fabric artists are represented in the latest show at B2 Fine Art Gallery. The show is called “Nature in the Making: Geo-Tiles” and is subtitled “Geology Interpreted through Woven Textiles.”  Participating artists are Stacey Harvey-Brown all the way from the UK, Agnes Hauptli from New Zealand, and Tacoma’s own Bo Chambers.

Not only is the art by each of these exemplary, but it is beautifully displayed in such a way as to create natural interactions between installations and individual pieces and groupings of two and three pieces so that they read as diptychs and triptychs. This is especially true of Hauptli’s work as exemplified in her tapestries “Undulations,” “Waves” and “Double Vision.” These three pieces are grouped together in such a way as to form a single three-part piece with patterns that undulate with soft gold, mauve and tan colors in such a way as to lead the eye from one to the other. The same holds true for her “Petrified Sand Dunes,” a group of three large, hanging tapestries grouped in descending size and position as if pictured in one-point perspective. Inspired by the landscape of the Southwest, the colors are that of sand dunes and there is what appears to be a Native American petroglyph. Even more outstanding is her installation with three hanging tapestries: “Glistening I,” “Glistening II” and “Dripstone,” which constitute a depiction of dripping limestone in a cavern with hanging woolen linen representing stalactites. It is in installations such as this that the geological references in the show’s title become crystal clear.

I also was much impressed with a group of scarves by Hauptli in beautiful shades of gold and purple, which are displayed in such a manner as to look like religious vestments.

Also looking a lot like a group of stalactites is Harvey-Brown’s “Growth Forms,” 13 hanging tapestries in cotton, wool and linen in the shapes of windsocks that hang floor to ceiling. Her large pieces “Strata Walls 1” and “Strata Walls 2” are huge and imposing sheets of mixed fibers arranged in loosely woven bands of white, gray and tan. All of her work is impressive in size and impact.

The artworks by Harvey-Brown and Hauptli are from a show of the same title in New Zealand. Chambers was added to the Tacoma show. Chambers is showing about a dozen wall hangings in various eccentric shapes made up of sticks, thread, rope, and beads. They look like her personal take on shamanistic objects inspired by dream catchers.

Nature in the Making, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, till 9 p.m. Third Thursdays, through July 25, B2 Fine Art Gallery,711 St. Helens Avenue, Tacoma, 253.238.5065]