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Category Archives: Chile
Chile Crea Textil – Chile Creates Textile association
Fantastic catalog about this great exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum in Santiago.
A treat for your eyes – Un regalo para los ojos
VOLCANIC WONDERS IN WOVEN FORM
Marianne Werkmeister’s “Window to the South” (Ventana al Sur) exhibition is being presented the entire month of February, 2012 at Hotel Termas Puyehue in the 10th region of Chile.
This new show is inspired by the wonderful landscape in neutral and grey hues, with pumice stones from the Caulle volcanic range, and very thick yarns.
The following work is from the “Stone Sea” series, followed by one of “Ventana al Sur” pieces.
Marianne Werkmeister, Textile Design
http://artetextilmarianne.blogspot.com
Termas Puyehue Hotel is located in the 10th region of Los Lagos at the foot of the Andes. It overlooks the impressive Puyehue National Park: a Nature sanctuary embracing 107000 hectares of beautiful forests, rivers and lakes, which was declared UNESCO’s biosphere reserve.
Address: Puyehue Ruta 215, Km 76 | Osorno, Puyehue 64, Chile
Pronunciation: Puyehue /poo-yeh-weh/
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich
HOMAGE TO JORGE SOSA
HOMAGE: “Trama – Weft”
Dedicated to
Jorge Sosa Campiglia
Expositors:
Pablo Conde
Alejandra del Castillo
Nilda Echenique
Diego Masi
Sara Pacheco
Gustavo Real
Alicia Ubilla
October, 2010
MAPI Museum, Montevideo, Uruguay
A weft of friendships and brotherhoods
Seven renown artists—four women and three men—had a collective exhibit at the end of 2010.
This joint curatorial effort took installations linked to their most recent expressive worlds, and adapted them to this particular space.
The entire show was dedicated to tapicista (weaver) Jorge Sosa, and may be interpreted as Weft, or Warp, or Netting, or Plot, Theme, Plan, or Intrigue.
The first connotation supports and wraps, suggesting the work of two textile artists, both considered tapisserie creators and teaching pioneers in Uruguay: Jorge Sosa, who died in 2010, and Ernesto Aroztegui.
Aroztegui was also an enthusiastic founder of CETU (Centro de la Tapicería Uruguaya), the Center for Uruguayan Tapestry.
Although many students got close to textile and later adopted new materials and new expressive roads, the “textile touch” of these two maestros was undeniable, and marked the lives of hundreds of people, forever.
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich, translation
3rd BAZART UC in Santiago, Chile
If you happen to be in the neighborhood this Sunday, December 4, Pontificia Catholic University of Chile presents the Third BazartUC Fair of Contemporary Art, featuring 30 stands with works by national renown and emerging artists. Entrance free of charge.
There will also be an interactive salon about the Art of Andy Warhol, with an engraving workshop, costumes and children activities.
Textile artists Andrea Fischer and Inge Dusi are active participants in this event.
The address if on the lower left hand side of the invitation for your review.
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich, translation
The power of association: Chile Crea Textil
CCT: Developing and spreading Chilean textile art
Reconstruct-us opening. Foreground: sdalatinREP, and CCT President Andrea Fischer. Background: U.S. artist Carol Westfall, and German artists Christine Altona and Helene Altona.
For many years in Chile some artistic expressions weren’t considered disciplines of high aesthetic value; textile art being one of them. Eventually, however, academic training and international contact—among many other factors, helped change around this situation. Nowadays the work of artists within this discipline is favored by greater receptiveness and appreciation of their proposals thanks to access to a wide range of creation possibilities, which is due to diversity and richness of technique and materials developed for centuries by first-settler artisans, mestizo country traditions, and urban creation.
Visitors browsing through the Reconstruct-us exhibit in Costa Rica.
In 2007, hoping to grow within their work and optimize the growing interest to cultivate this discipline, a group of Chilean textile artists formed a non-profit organization they named Chile Crea Textil (Chile Creates Textile). Since then they have worked to affiliate representatives of various textile creation and design modalities, establish a link to the academic world, share knowledge and information, and coordinate the participation of Chilean textile artists in biennial competitions, fairs, and international encounters.
Manuela Tromben: Works made with horse hair, silver, vegetable fibers, and yarn.
Carolina Morales. Necklaces. Linen/rayon mix, with closures made of ceramic, and silver.
Little by little, the work started by Chile Crea Textil has proved to be fruitful. One of the last presentations of Chilean textile art arranged by the Organization was at the “Encounter of the IberoAmerican Textile Network: Textile Creation, Sustainable Tradition, and Responsible Innovation,” which took place in September, 2010 in San José, Costa Rica. For that exhibit, the selection of Chilean textile works and contemporary jewelry by eleven artists and twelve contemporary textile jewelry designers, was amply recognized by its originality and high artistic level.
At the time of applying to the Costa Rican Encounter, Chile Crea Textil proposed a theme to be followed by Chilean artists wishing to participate: The earthquake that shook the country in 2010, and the concept of reconstruction, thus naming the exhibit Reconstruir-se (re-construct ourselves). Urged to ponder about the theme in question, the artists resorted to great creativity to develop their own distinctive work, which was marked by the identity of living in a land where movements from within the earth are commonplace, yet having been afflicted by one of the most intense earthquakes ever registered.
Contact CCT: http://www.chilecreatextil.cl/
Montserrat Lira: Necklaces woven with thermoplastic material.
Angélica Delgado & Eduardo Sepúlveda, Necklace. Fabric coiling, thread, metal.
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From the same exposition is one of the wall pieces:
Constancia Urrutia: "Gestures"
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich, translation
CHILEAN JEWELRY EXHIBITORS
Montserrat Lira is one of the jewelry artists participating in the Reconstruct-us textile jewelry show in Costa Rica last September (see article above).
Montserrat Lira: Cocoon pin
She studied in Venezuela, Chile and the U.S. before dedicating her professional creativity solely to contemporary jewelry and teaching.
Montserrat uses materials such as felt, cocoons, woven nets, thermoplastic fibers, and polymers. Her main interest is the discovery and combination of techniques and materials in order to develop surfaces and textile objects featuring contemporary design with a strong visual and color impact.
Montserrat Lira: Nuno felt shawl
In the area of education, Montserrat has taught dyeing techniques, stamping and felting for over 10 years in various design and fashion schools, and in her own studio.
Montserrat Lira: Necklace
Montserrat Lira: Necklaces
Montserrat Lira: Necklace featuring felt balls
Selected into the CREA National Chile Competition in 2009 and 2010, Montserrat also participated in the Reconstruct-us show featured above. Her contact information is www.montserratlira.cl
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich, translation
Andrea Fischer creates textiles
Chilean ARTIST AND PROMOTER Andrea Fischer is founder and president of Chile Crea Textil (Chile Creates Textile, or CCT), an emerging association of textile creators whose 40 members produce an amazing body of work.
Andrea Fischer preparing her installation piece.
Andrea is also Vice-President of the IberoAmerican Textile Network, and a very active teacher of fiber and weaving techniques.
Her beautiful installation, Suspended IV, was an invited work at the Palais de Glace National Palace for the Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2009 during the 5th WTA Biennial. This work is based on bird nesting research made by the artist, and features 800 fiber eggs suspended from 200 threads, plus 650 threads carrying almost 12000 egg fragments.
Visit Andrea’s web site at www.andreafischer.cl
Andrea Fischer photographing her installation.
Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires, Argentina
SUSPENDED IV, by Andrea Fischer.
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich, translation
Good-luck witches in Santiago, Chile
Award winning brooch by Alba Sepulveda
The Spanish conquista brought its religion to South America, and with the Inquisition a huge witchcraft lore began in Chile—from love-related persecution of famous women such as Francisca de Escobedo, Juana de Soto, Maria de Encío, and Juana de Castañeda all the way to two centuries of the Enchantment War, when Indigenous Mapuches were persecuted due to their costumes and tattoos.
During a trip to South America two years ago, I became aware of little witches hanging in vehicles and bicycles as good-luck charms in Santiago, Chile. This generalized belief has opened up a big market for textile figurines in every material imaginable.
A few weeks ago during an international crafts fair in “the witch’s town of Santa Ana”—west of the capital city of San José, Costa Rica—I met a Chilean finger weaver who works with crin (horse hair), and invited her and her son to spend a day at my place. This encounter was hard to accomplish due to tight schedules and travel distances, but it was very inspiring for me (I still work 100% by hand).
Of all the Chilean weavers working with horse hair, I was lucky to meet one whose work is exquisite, and whose original design has been internationally recognized.
Her name is Alba Sepúlveda. At age 7 she learned this ancient trade from her mother, Ms. Enriqueta Ramos, who wove the roots of the poplar tree. Many years later, the poplars became extinct in the area, forcing weavers to experiment with horse hair.
Alba Sepúlveda, horse hair dyed with aniline and agave ixtle
Nowadays Alba teaches 50 other women to weave, and the crin trade continues to grow: Finger weavers, who must have good sight and be able to spend hours working by a lightbulb. They harvest only the hair of breeds whose hair absorbs dye well, in a process that takes several days.
Alba Sepulveda, "Atom" brooch, Unesco Award
In 2008 Alba received the 2008 UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handcraft Products award for the brooches shown here.
Alba Sepulveda's award winning "Black&White" brooch
Needless to say I am the proud owner of a little witch made by Alba, which is absolutely beautiful. It measures 4″ in length by 1.5″ in width, and it has tiny details delicately crafted with crin…wonderful! Unfortunately, my knowledge of finger weaving and knotting is very limited, and there’s no way I could remember all the explanations Alba gave me about this long process.
Alba Sepulveda, horse hair witch and necklace
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Alba Sepulveda, Flowers
Alba lives in Santiago, Chile. If you’re interested in seeing or buying her works, you may visit her blog and newly designed web site:www.elartedelcrin.blogspot.com
- I love the artistry and intricacy of design in all of Alba’s works, which she brought over to my house that day.
Alba Sepulbeda: "Camelia"
Here are but a few samples for everyone’s enjoyment:
Alba Sepulveda: "Flower"
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Alba Sepulveda: "Flores"
—Silvia Piza-Tandlich
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