Lace Hiding Lace
Submitted by Ted Hallman on Thu, 09/17/2009 - 21:22
My work is mostly experimental. I weave , crochet, make lace, and knit, but often work in ways that are none of these. I became a self-taught fiber artist before obtaining art school degrees. By now I have many art and academic degrees but these don't influence my work very much. I am also a body worker, in that I am an Alexander Technique teacher, masseur, and Rolfer. This work has probably influenced my creative life more.
I do not work with lace so often but this is one of my favorite lace pieces. Its top layer suggests a lace window curtain. It is a scale up of the lace in the background. It protects and partially covers up the information from the lower layer where two male lovers are holding hands. On this layer the lace conveys the idea of feminine energy and in contrast, the lace over the bodies suggests masculine tattoos or scarification.
I have been fortunate to be represented in over 20 art museums including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the V & A in London, and the Museum of Applied Art, Helsinki.
