June 2007: Jessica Kreutter & Shannon Weber

Shannon Weber creates original one-of-a-kind vessels and assembled collages out of multiple layers of weaving, stitching, tying, encaustic, and paint that work around the edges of traditional techniques. Most materials are hand gathered. A small listing includes sea grass roots, bull sea kelp, roots, beaver sticks, barks, willow and native grasses. To quote Weber “If it bends I use it!” Weber calls her mixed media kelp constructions: wall quilts. Weber approaches primitive forms of weaving and tweaks them into “new” aboriginal forms. Her work tells a story from her soul; inspired by the unknown past and created using her own discoveries of technique and style. Her color works consist of 4 to 6 layers of random weaving, with every layer painted as the vessel is woven, then over-dyed. Three to 4 finishing layers of surface design techniques are added, which include reclaimed metals, drip lines, vinyl discs or canvas paintings stitched with wax linen thread.

Jessica Kreutter is introducing her latest creation, “Sorting Pods.” These pods are an exploration into both the fixation and satisfaction that can occur in the process of categorization and organization. A couple of years ago she came across a large shoebox with thousands of tiny pictures meticulously cut out from old household goods catalogues. These were not mere remnants of an individual’s craftwork that had gone unused; they were evidence of the enjoyment and obsession with the exact and repetitive nature of the process itself. There were piles and piles of these miniature paper images, all perfectly cut out. As she began looking through the cutouts, Kreutter instinctually began to sort the pictures into categories, and realized that she also enjoyed the repetition. After the sorting was done, which took her a year to complete, she made ceramic half capsules or pods and collaged on the “inside.” The collage and designs were based on the cutouts that made up the categories.