When two photos become one...

What: Artes Martes Photo-Weaving by Scott Crystal

When: April 3, 2018 7:00PM - 9:00 PM

Where: Casco Viejo, Tantalo Hotel

Who: Scott Crystal

Juxtaposition of images is not a new idea and has been something I’ve explored many years ago. The concepts to use both flowers and faces; figures and flowers; and figures and places of worship was based on forms that shared similarity and in other cases, just playful ideas. Don't you think it is an elegant way of putting coloring and form to a face or figure with added dimension and context? Our lives are a interwoven experience and so this artistic form will be well suited to express a post-modern level of context to our complex lives. Hopefully the flowers and figures will create a beautiful organic bond with their host. Perhaps the figures and churches will create a dialogue. And the figures and faces in context with flowers will be perceived like an orchid to it's host, these images will pervade into the self image of those people and bodies depicted.

Contextualization is a very important part of every aspect of our lives. Most importantly, on a visual level - we contextualize all the time. Imagine seeing a lot homeless people inside a mansion while browsing around Newport Rhode Island. Or imagine seeing a naked person inside the Supreme Court with everyone else all dressed proper. Neither are as visually shocking as a place where they seem more at home; like a homeless person in the slums of New York or a naked person in a figurative artist’s sculpture studio full of nude statues.

I’ve put together images in context to one another and woven images together many times before. When dealing with juxtaposition of two images the contrasting effect can be very suggestive and at other times create a dialogue or a conflict or even play off each other’s similarities. All these forms for context in imagery have an ability to speak to an audience in a unique manner. It is with this basic notion of context, I plan to explore more of the affects possible and how to achieve a directed message without words.

The Wikipedia definition of Weaving is as follows: "Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling." To some, weaving is, or was considered, a very feminist artistic form.

"There is a hierarchy in the arts: decorative art at the bottom, and the human form at the top. Because we are men."

—Le Corbusier and Amédée Ozenfant, 1918

Corbusier made at least 27 tapestry drawings, known as cartoons, from 1936 to 1965, La Fondation Le Corbusier in Paris says.

In my case, weaving was something I was taught as a child. Over several years I learned to make macramé and often gave it as gifts to family and friends. Weaving is creating bonds for me and as much of an decisive art form as is figurative sculpture and painting.

So lets start with some images and create the marks for a pattern of 2 photographs to be woven together. Using these two 16 X 20” photographs, I plan to merge together the images in a woven pattern but perhaps not the same way one would expect. You may use a pair of scissors, the paper cutter to make strips or just partially weave a section, this is up to you. But first you may want to mark up the picture on the back to keep things in order. As an example, you may choose to make set of longitudes cuts that are each a centimeter apart. Number each piece if you detach it completely so you can place them in order later. You may alternatively just cut the longitude direction up to border of the image and use it like done in macramé. Some designers like to start in the middle so the design can be very tight, but I find using a piece of scrap paper easy to use like a loom brush is used to tighten the weave. I encourage everyone to take chances and have fun. If need be, use a little piece of tape here and there to keep the slices of paper in place. Remember, your end product can always be matted so the edges are seen. Or perhaps the edges are what you like to see… It’s your choice.

If you would like to take home your own creating I only ask you pay a small fee $5 for each of the 8 X 10” photographs. If you don’t want to buy the purchase the materials, I get to keep your creation (~;

Inquiries: email to scott@crystalfineart.com or crystal888@me.com

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