Sondra Bogdonoff
The pieces in the show are part of a series titled “Lines”, inspired by the layered, dense, chaotic lines of nature and their underlying patterns and geometry. The lines of thread change as they are woven into the fabric, or set free to do their own thing. Working with multiple colors within a grid structure, I’m exploring how light reflects differently across woven and unwoven threads.
Weaving is a building project where the loom imposes its own limits and possibilities. As in any construction project, there is a sequence of decisions, - - structure, material, density, color, tension, etc., many made before I sit down at the loom. Each decision retains its own identity yet contributes to creating something singular and unique. As I weave, I continue to be intrigued with the play of pattern, color, depth and light across the surface.
I enjoy working at the edge of this ancient medium – to see how far I can push the way the loom orders the threads and builds a fabric, to loosen it in some way so impulse and hand and curiosity can enter the conversation, as well as take advantage of the threads’ inherent qualities. The structure, color, play, grows one row at a time. There is no going back or redoing and no jumping ahead. Weaving is always a discovery, row by row.
My planning is almost entirely structural and mathematical – it’s the ground I stand on. I work out the structure, sketch on graph paper, and lay out scale and dimensions that help me weave. Color decisions come last and are intuitive and greedy – I want some of everything. I lay out maybe 60 colors and start grouping, eliminating, hunting for a combination that excites me and amplifies the feeling I want.
I had an earlier 25-year career as a weaver, selling one-of-a-kind jackets nationally and doing commissioned wall work, and then spent 20 years in university administration, where work in my studio was a weekend and evening pursuit. In 2016 I returned to weaving full-time. I think of myself as a “re-emerging artist” - - it is an odd and challenging place to sit. My commitment is to simply show up at my studio every day. I’m immersed in the journey at this point – grateful that I have the privilege of time and energy to go wherever this exploration takes me.
