D Minus One Day

My goodness, I'm glad everyday was not like today; it was action packed!

I sold something, but not a shawl. A gentleman from Christchurch wanted to buy this photo, one of six I cut up in three and stuck on the stair way; he actually wanted to buy a big oil painting of this, but since I don't even doodle (except on the weaving software), he had to contend with a copy of the photo (at $10) and find a painter. Lloyd wavered the Arts Council commission and GST (sales tax)!

Three mums and four babies came to Kath's concert; I think I'm supposed to say it was wonderful. Kath certainly shines when she's around kids, and she was a superb one-woman Giggle; it's as if she gains energy from the kids that surround her. However, those of you who have/had children know how much noise they generate, and how they run/crawl in any direction you don't intend them to go; Kath, Lloyd, and Hella, who also works at Arts Council, all have/had children, but it's been a while since I've been around micropersons, so I, and only I, was going out of my mind.

Rose, a textile artists turned ceramic artist who had the seed pot installation in this very gallery some years ago, took time out of her busy day to come and visit. I got carried away talking about the process of creating an Exhibit(ion) that I didn't really get to talk to her. Then a woman joined the discussion; long story short, she (in line with the opinion of her weaving teacher who is well-known in her country) thought I need to get back to basics and try color and texture on my 4-shaft loom.

There is an outdated argument that claims weaving on computer-controlled looms is not "handweaving". There are various fine lines weavers ourselves have drawn as to what is allowable and what not in order to call one's craft "handweaving"; many claimed in the early 90's that because the mechanism of lifting the shafts and/or selecting which shaft to lift for a particular shed is mechanically controlled, setup like my big loom is not "hand" weaving. But with the proliferation of computer programs and computer-controlled (aka computer dobby) looms, I hadn't realized that there were still those who held on to this notion.

I don't know this woman, and I was quite at a loss as to why she threw a curve ball suddenly. And frankly, I found her suggestion offensive. It's too late for me to go back to 4-shaft only. While I own a 4-shaft jack loom, and enjoy weaving on it immensely, I also need the 16-shaft computer-control to weave the kind of cloth I like, and I find it odd to reject new technology or material just because they are new, as if only old methods and tools are legitimate. And I didn't see any connection between what she told me repeatedly and what I was trying to discuss with Rose. I don't think I was getting too precious because I was the "artiste", either.

If it's not dangerous and I can afford it without taking out a second mortgage, I'll try anything once, to see if the method or equipment helps me make the kind of cloth I like. I am slow to try new things, but I don't shun anything just because I am unfamiliar with them.

I was trying my best not to loose it. It was strange; I appreciate anyone bothering to come up and see my Exhibit(ion), but I just could not understand her motivation or insistence. And the sad thing is, she may have been trying to be friendly and make conversation, and I was too pig-headed to hear it that way.

Later, I had a debriefing about the Exhibit(ion) and my pieces with Lloyd; this was so interesting I'm putting it in a separate post.