World of Threads Festival 2018

Untamed, Tina Struthers (Quebec)
Cotton, reclaimed denim, velvet, embroidery thread; textural layers machine and hand stitched

This biennial showcase of local, national and international contemporary fibre and textile art includes 303 artworks by 65 artists. Staged in Oakville, Ontario, it runs until November 25, 2018.

Nets, Mary-Anne Wensley (Ontario)
Pig gut, sausage casings, linen thread; many rounds of soaking & rinsing of the gut,
which is then shaped and laid out to dry. Knotting and tying square knots.

Nets, Mary-Anne Wensley (Ontario)
detail

In the main gallery is Flow, the major exhibition of the festival,

"inspired by the natural processes and rhythms of the world around us. Some works drape and hang from the ceiling, others use found and repurposed materials. These elemental works bring to mind swirling rivers, cascading waterfalls and gradual erosion. Some works evoke a universal scale with floating gas and stardust. Others are more grounded and feel like mud slides, bubbling lava, dripping sap, decaying plants and churning debris. This show is filled with the energy of one form changing into another over long periods of time."

Black Crow Blues, Helena Scheffer (Quebec)
Commercial & artist-dyed cotton, silk, synthetic fabric, polyester threads, cotton batting;
collage, machine quilting

As well as the main show, many artists had small solo shows. Among my favourites:

You are here, Eszter Bornemisza (Hungary)
Newspaper, threads, carbon sticks, dyed, over-printed, ripped newspaper;
machine-sewn

Paula Kovarik (Tennessee)

Paula Kovarik (Tennessee)

Through the Woods, Lorraine Roy (Ontario)
cotton and synthetic fabrics, cotton batting, acrylic paint;
machine raw edge appliqué, machine embroidery, machine quilting

Call of the Heart, Lorraine Roy (Ontario)
Cotton & synthetic fabrics, cotton batting batting, acrylic paint;
machine raw edge appliqué, machine embroidery, machine quilting

Integration, Lorraine Roy (Ontario)
cotton and synthetic fabrics, cotton batting, acrylic paint;
machine raw edge appliqué, machine embroidery, machine quilting

The World of Threads includes works in paper when the paper is used as a kind of fibre. One of the most striking works on display was an installation of hand-cast vessels in paper. More than 3000 items, shipped in from New York state, were individually arranged by the artist.

In Between Presence and Absence, Sun Young Kang (New York)

In Between Presence and Absence (detail)

Other sculptures, though not made of fibre, referenced fibre techniques, like weaving, knotting and wrapping.

Water Shadows series, Julia White (Ontario)
made with recycled bicycle tires

In the Round series, Melanie Chikofsky (Ontario)

In the Round series, Melanie Chikofsky (Ontario)

This year's is the fourth edition of World of Threads that I've attended. It seems that the volume of work has been steadily shrinking, as have the number of venues. The show this year was confined to one site, a community centre, and work displayed in the hallways was compromised by inadequate lighting and by annoying music blaring through loudspeakers. The work itself is well worth seeing and deserves a better venue.

For more information, go to the World of Threads website.