Exhibitions
In the Main Gallery:
Sandra Poteet: Grayscale in Fiber
August 3 – September 29
The choice of cloth as a medium sometimes sets me in the midst of the never-ending argument about what is art and what is craft—so many opinions. I am clear that my work is art, but I can resolve to say that if the viewer also decides my work is “Art,” it is well-crafted. If chosen to be seen as “Craft” pieces, they are artful, designed, and executed by me to provoke an aesthetic or emotional response. If an original work has integrity and can touch someone's sensibilities - is the distinction critical?
My Grayscale series of fabric work eliminates the significant element of color, which challenges me to create pieces that emphasize the other (often overlooked) components such as value, texture (particularly texture), line, and shape. As is true of all my work, most fabrics are repurposed, scrapped, or gifted. That translates to reversing the process where the concept occurs first, and the materials are obtained to achieve the goal. I start with the material and grow the design from its nature. It is folded, painted, melted, appliquéd, printed, and stitched by hand and machine.