Diane Melms Exhibit, March 2017
Artist Talk:
The vibrant textile constructions comprising COMPLEX CLOTH are sure to intrigue visitors at the Bunnell. Diane Melms textile art has been described as bold, colorful and contemporary. Inspired by a love for fabric, color and pattern, her artwork embodies a passion for manipulating formal design elements to create engaging abstract compositions. The exhibit consists of an array of textile constructions, which illustrates the depth and breadth of her vision and includes work from several different series.
Diane’s love of process is an important part of her motivation. Working from a palette of her own hand-dyed and printed fabrics, she uses an improvisational method of cutting and sewing fabric pieces together. Her compositions organically evolve on the design wall during the sewing process. She finishes each piece by adding layers of batting and backing and dense patterns of topstitching. Her fine piecing and detailed stitching create rich and complex surfaces that invite closer examination. The work is labor intensive and time consuming. Diane says “I am inspired by the women who came before me who used fabric as a creative medium. In my work, I strive to honor these aesthetic roots and push cloth-work into new territory”.
Diane works in her home studio in Anchorage, Alaska. Her work has been included in several Earth Fire and Fibre and All Alaska Juried Exhibitions, and has been selected for prestigious national and international exhibitions in the United States and abroad. She has work in the Anchorage Museum’s permanent collection, in several private collections, and has garnered many awards including Jurors awards in Anchorage Museum Exhibits and a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship.
Diane’s work is available during the month of March at Bunnell Street Arts Center and in our online store.
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