Summary

There are three basic ingredients (as opposed to definitions) that all artworks possess; (i) they need to be “engaged”; (ii) they are non-functional, and (iii) they are aesthetic. Wearable Art is “Art” when placed in an art context but when it is not placed in an art context, its functionality obscures the act of engagement.
My scarves are wearable art.

My scarves have been created using a range of fabrics and various hand dyeing and hand printing techniques. I am particularly fond of silk rayon velvet due to its ability to impart rich, luscious, intense colour and yet retains its super soft, luxurious handle when dyed and printed using various media.
My scarves are a unique creation, never to be repeated in colour, tone or overall design. Some of the design elements may re-appear in other scarves, but the overall colours, printing/overprinting and design features is what ensures their uniqueness as a one-off specialty wearable art item to covet.

Organisation

Art Quill Studio

Team

Marie-Therese Wisniowski - ArtCloth Artist

Marie-Therese Wisniowski works full time as a studio artist, author, curator, speaker and tutor. She is the Director of Art Quill Studio, The Education Division of Art, Quill & Co. P/L at Arcadia Vale in New South Wales, Australia. She is a casual lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She recently took up the position of Co-Editor of Australia’s “Textile Fibre Forum” magazine.

Her written works have appeared in journals such as ‘Literature and Aesthetics’, ‘Craft Arts International’, ‘Textile Fibre Forum’, ‘Fibreline’, ‘Embellish’, ‘Down Under Textiles’ and ‘Quilting Arts’. She has also authored articles on websites such as ‘Pop Art Legitimizing Prints as an Art Medium – A Generator of Future Processes and Art Movements’ for the Exchange Partners in Print Media website. In 2007 she was invited to be the inaugural guest editor of the international e-zine ‘HeArtCloth Quarterly’.

She specialises in the area of ArtCloth, artist printmaker books and limited edition prints. She has created signature screen printing techniques that she has named “Matrix Formatting” “Multiplexing” and “Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP) on her natural fibre ArtCloth works and “MultiSperse Dye Sublimation” (MSDS) in her ArtCloth works using disperse dyes on synthetic fibres. She conducts workshops and lectures on these and other techniques, which she tutors at international and national conferences, forums, textile/print groups and in university courses.
Her current work explores contemporary post-graffiti, socio-political and environmental issues.

Her printed ArtCloth works have been exhibited internationally and nationally and are held in major public and private collections in Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand and the USA. She has received numerous international awards for her printed fabric lengths.

Inspiration/Method

The first Prime Minister of India - Nehru - said to his daughter Indira Gandhi: “Be Brave - the rest will follow!” Underlying all of my work is this drive to take risks - to create bold, edgy, contemporary designs and so let my adrenaline drive my artwork. Nonetheless, discarding mainstream design elements is not in itself inspirational, but rather it is an important part of my inner core - to drive my work to create edgy design elements.

Urban and landscape environments inform my images and works. My contemporary urban landscape themes include my interpretation of post-graffiti work. I operate my artistic skill set on these thoughts to project rich and vibrant landscapes on the cloth medium. The ArtCloth scarves I create rely heavily on researching design elements consistent with my world-view to create images from the “utten welt” and/or from life-forms threatened with respect to survival.

I employ various surface design techniques to create the imagery for my scarves. These techniques include the initial image/mark making processes of drawing and designing which are followed by dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stenciling, stamping, screen printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibres.

Design Challenge

A large motivation for my wearable art sits within my role as a casual lecturer and international tutor, teaching University and textile/craft/art/print students how to use cloth as an art and craft medium.

This motivation fuels my desire to explore personal design challenges as well as being able to impart and effectively communicate these challenges to inspire my students, as many have an artistic curiosity that needs to be channeled and driven.

I feel privileged that I can create my wearables using time honoured and complex surface design techniques. My scarves are unique, are imbued with colour, shimmer with luscious textures, are comfortable to wear and are thoughtfully designed, dyed, printed and finished. A wonderful formula which imparts my passion about ArtCloth wearables to my students and to those who purchase my scarves and who cherish them to this day.

This is the catalyst which continually drives my artistic curiosity and those of my students to the exciting, personal, visual, tactile and ever challenging world of textiles – a new continent of art and craft called ArtCloth.