Prairie Editions | 2019
[ notes on a 2019 Lost in Fiber editions collaboration + commission ]
Several months have passed since my May artist residency at The Jennings Hotel in Joseph, Oregon, but the slower summer tempo has allowed for some reflection on my time out west and the documentation of materials and project ideas leading up to my stay and the days thereafter.
My idea to commission the above prairie vessel from Brooklyn artist/designer, Monica Hofstadter, proved to be an ideal way to further my Walking Libraries investigations.
Monica offered brilliant ideas re: the creation of a hand-woven vessel (wearable art object) that was to help me store gathered materials while out on the prairie or visiting ghost towns.
We looked closely at tule mat weavings and cordage methods, storage vessels and baskets from native traditions in the region, as well as delving into Monica’s previous collections and designs highlighting tactile experiments and soft forms. Our final solution for this edition was a distillation of/homage to these sources, and also the embodiment of a dialogue between creatives and places.
This sort of project really encompasses what my own studio practice has become. I like the idea of unique editions that refer to site-specific ideas and strategies — with the possibility that the work often becomes stronger in collaborative contexts.
____
For more information on Monica Hofstadter’s work, visit her website and Instagram.
Lost in Fiber | editions will be sharing more details regarding past and future projects soon.
In the interim, you can follow along via Instagram here.
Prairie Editions 2019 is the latest art/design project by Abigail Doan studio.
