Fibreworks 2012: Jolie Bird

Jolie Bird Chair Wrapped in Gold Thread, 2011; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012

At first glance, the above chair by Jolie Bird appears to be painted gold. Take a closer look. Do you see it? The entire chair is wrapped in gold cotton thread. I've wrapped objects with thread before and they've never looked this neat. Wrapping the legs and dowels is finicky and time-consuming, but not so hard. Coiling the thread to cover the seat is another thing altogether: it would take the infinite patience of an angel. And then some.

Jolie Bird Chair Wrapped in Gold Thread, 2011; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012

I snooped around Jolie's website and learned that she has a BFA in fibre arts from the Alberta College of Art and Design and is an MFA candidate at NSCAD University. Wrapping objects with thread is not new and each artist takes a different approach. I am reminded of Celeste Scopelites' wrapped wine glasses, The Three Graces, from the Sotto Voce exhibition at the Textile Museum of Canada (1998-1999). Jolie obscures entire objects with thread, Scopelites wrapped portions of objects. Both artists' results are impressive.

* Photographs taken with permission from Mary Misner, Director of Cambridge Galleries