CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
SEASONS
An abstract submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in
Art
by
Claire Cosgrove
May 1986
The abstract of Claire Cosgrove is approved:
Bernice Colman
California State University, Northridge
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For my family,
Vince,
and all my friends,
"Seasons" was made possible
by their love and support.
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Weaving is one of our earliest art forms, and is deeply rooted
in our existence and daily life.
To illustrate this, I have titled
my exhibit, "Seasons. 11 As our lives are reflected in the seasons of
the year, and also governed by them so is weaving.
The fibers,
patterns and colors we use, all tend to lend themselves to certain
seasons, and the artist, being aware of this, blends these factors
into a material, perfect for its use.
The human race has, from its earliest history, attempted to
change its environment into something more hospitable and beautiful.
Today, we control our surroundings in monumental ways.
We change the
course of rivers, level mountains and, on more personal levels, we
control the light, temperature, humidity, sound, color and aesthetics
of our immediate environment.
Nearly everything we use has been
designed for function and beauty.
Ancient peoples were not as
fortunate; they had to expend great energy, just to live.
As time
passed, they applied intelligence and inventiveness to the
modification of their environment in order to make life easier, more
confortable and more beautiful.
Their first clothing was constructed
of animal skins and anything else that was available.
Then, in the
New Stone Age, a marvelous process came into use, weaving.
People were able to create materials from fibers that were warm,
supple and easily worked.
These materials were durable and were not
as limiting in size as were animal skins.
As time passed, the people
found that the addition of color and patterns could produce beautiful
effects and the art of weaving was born.
Human beings have always
enjoyed beautifying themselves and any adornment was highly prized,
so the weaver became an artist, producing colorful, beautiful and
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useful fabrics.
The beautiful rugs of the southwestern American
Indians are an example of this art form; they have become soughtafter works of art, but were originally used as a source of
protection, warmth and adornment.
Other cultures have left their imprint on the art of weaving.
The
Egyptians produced beautiful linens and cottons which have been preserved for us in their tombs.
These were used for clothing, in house-
hold articles, and in religious practices.
The Greeks made fine
woolen fabrics hundreds of years before Christ was born, and Alexander
the Great introduced cotton into Europe from India in the Fourth
Century B.C.
The Chinese had been weaving centuries before this, and
Chinese legend claims that silk weaving originated in the TwentySeventh Century B.C.
The weaver must be an organized thinker because weaving is an
art of mathematical precision.
The weaver must be patient and willing
to spend long hours of repetitive effort in order to complete a work.
The weaver must have an eye for design and the imagination to translate it into a material.
The weaver must have a good color sense
because without it, the most intricate pattern will not have the life
and intensity of which it is capable.
the shuttle and the fiber.
The weaver's tools are the loom,
The loom and the shuttle make weaving
possible but the fiber is the essence of this art form.
gives the work a pleasing tactile dimension.
The fiber
It gives the work a
pattern which pleases the eye, and it gives the work its color, which
enriches and enhances the weaver's efforts.
The fiber is, at the
same time, the canvas, pallette, brush and subject of the artist.
The fibers are arranged according to their color, texture and weight,
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and the result is a semi-accidental arrangement of systematic groups
of color.
As the fibers are interlaced, a fabric is created whose
intended purpose is to enhance its ultimate use.
The use of fabric is generalized throughout our society.
into contact with it constantly.
We come
Fabric is used in the clothing we
wear, the upholstery in our homes, cars and offices.
It is used in
curtains, carpets, blankets, umbrellas, tents, shoes; the list is
endless and growing.
Because of this broad impact of fabric on our
lives, I have demonstrated different types of weaves, different
textures of fibers, and various color systems.
In doing so, we can
see that each fabric becomes a unique piece of art; no two can be
alike.
The end result is a fabric whose purpose is to enhance, not
overpower, its use.
Fabrics are made up of the warp and weft.
running at right angles to each other.
These are fibers
In the weaving process, they
interlock and make up the structure of the fabric.
materials displayed varies.
The warp in the
It may be as simple as a series of re-
peating stripes made up of two or three colors and textures or a
random series of many different colors and textures.
The weft also
may be simple, such as a tabby weave, a twill weave, a
tabby~twill
combination or a more complicated arrangement of fibers in a random
or orderly use of many different colors and/or textures.
For this project I set up the loom with seventeen yards of
fiber in the warp.
From the seventeen yards, five three-yard pieces
were woven in related groups to be used for clothing.
Weaving differ-
ent fabrics from the same warp ensures a series of fabrics that work
and blend together when finished.
In my exhibit, the fabric is my
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main concern, so simple patterns were used for the clothing in order
not to take away from the fabric.
"Seasons" is a demonstration of the art of weaving, its adaptation to our environment, and its application to a utilitarian form.
Color and pattern are coupled with fiber and texture to create an
art form which is, at the same time, pleasing to the eye and to the
touch.
I have used these visual and tactile elements in designs and
patterns that lend themselves to the various seasons of the year.
Colors have been selected which suggest the essence of the seasons
and to convey a feeling of their universality.
In this way, my
woven pieces become abstract works of non-representational art
suggesting the seasons of the year.
The clothing made from these
fabrics are mobile works of art, expressing the joy and happiness
in life as it is reflected in our experience of the seasons.
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WINTER
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SPRING
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SUMMER
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AUTUMN