Delaware By Hand - Presenting the Artists and Artisans of Delaware

A R T I S T / A R T I S A N P R O F I L E

Gina Bosworth

Fiber Decorative

2211 North Grant Avenue
Wilmington, DE 19806

302 654-0577
302 654-0577 (fax)
ginabos@aol.com

Artist Statement

Look—what do you see beyond your computer, office walls, car-filled streets? Do you see interlacing trees, strewn gray rocks, a wet glimmer on a leaf? The natural world is as vast as space, yet here for our next step. It enfolds us like a lover. And if we really see it, if we put ourselves behind us and welcome it, life is brilliant.

And so, I knot fibers with a warp and weft structure, reflecting the interconnectedness of the universe, to create images that evoke the intricacies of natural pattern that exist in harmony with human design. I focus on a close-up detail of animal or plant material, then simplify and abstract the image, adding geometry and overlaying pattern.

I use approximately 170 double half hitch knots per square inch. Linen is the most suitable yarn, and other yarns, such as cotton and silk, are used alone or in combination. I prefer a weave-based warp and weft structure, often beginning in the middle of a piece and working out to the edges. By knotting, I can use either warp or weft on the surface, with color and pattern changes easily accomplished. Also, by altering the direction of the warp or weft, I can shape an image, working outside a grid structure. Knotting gives infinite flexibility for shaping, adding texture and blending color.

I mount these knottings on plexiglass, providing a base which allows for the knotted image to float above the surface. That surface is altered to enhance the fiber image, and captures a sense of being in the moment, set apart from all else.

As I go through the process of creating a series of images, I like to develop ideas and drawings in a book that I make especially for a particular series. These project journals act as my focus and documentation of evolving thoughts and images.

My intention is to create jewel-like images that draw the eye, just as the beginning letters, or “illuminations,” in history’s first manuscripts captured the reader’s attention. Working in miniature scale requires attentive scrutiny. Focus is the essential. It enables us to really look.