ARTIST STATEMENT
BY
NANETTE DAVIS
My art work can be defined in part by the processes and materials I have used over the years. While I began as
what can be loosely referred to as a fiber artist; one who works with fiber techniques such as weaving and basketry,
I became engaged with surface design techniques on silk, and then expanded the hand painted silk into the area of
sculpture with mixed media. Finally, today I would refer to my work as contemporary basketry.
An integral aspect of my journey as a contemporary basketry artist has been the need to challenge and expand my
artistic expression beyond the traditional boundaries of fiber art. This journey has been seasoned with a blending
of traditional Eastern techniques such as arashi shibori (a Japanese method of dying cloth) and bias plaiting
(an off-loom technique for weaving a three dimensional form) with Western innovation in design, materials and processes.
The arashi shibori dye technique involves wrapping a narrow panel of silk around a tube with string, compressing it and
then painting it with thickened dye. The actual process of painting has evolved over the years into painting four or
more layers of color on the front and back of the silk panel, working from light to dark. Once the dye process is
complete; (dye set, excess dye washed out and silk ironed), it is bonded with a polymer medium to the material
(metal screen, acetate, paper, and/or foil) that will give the physical and structural integrity and flexibility
the project in mind requires.
The dyed silk in the relief wall sculptures is bonded to metal screen, cut into elements, ends folded and crimped twice,
pleated, formed, clipped and stitched together to create the desired design. Sometimes high- lights are painted on the
top of the pleated ridges as a finishing touch, and raw screen is inserted into the final design.
My recent investigation into the basketry technique, bias plaiting, heralded a shift from large shiboried silk wall
sculpture to smaller, table sized sculpture. The bias plaited works are made with the shiboried silk bonded to acetate,
paper and/or foil. The bonded materials are hand-cut into narrow strips, then plaited into unique sculptural forms.
Each material bonded to the shiboried silk informs the work with its own visual language intrinsic to the material.
The acetate bonded over the silk gives the appearance of colorful patterned glass; where as the silk bonded over foil
emits an inner metallic glow to the eyes of the viewer.
I enjoy experimenting with three dimensional form and materials. Those forms and materials, techniques, and processes
used that are found to be successful additions to my repertoire and visually satisfying to my work are added to my box
of tricks to be used another day.
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