Emerging fibre artist Allison Hadar of Loomer Eclipse is auctioning a stunning handwoven piece on The Fiber Studio Instagram.
Allison is donating all her profit from the auction to a small weaving community in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is currently taking a course there in traditional weaving and dying. For anyone looking for a fiber art getaway – this course looks incredible – here’s the link.
The auction piece (shown below) is a striking, geometric weave that catches the light with flecked metallic yarn and found materials.
The auction for this woven wall hanging takes place between 8th – 10th October. Bidding starts at £30, open worldwide.
You’ll find all you need to know about the auction below this interview with the artist.
I love the name Loomer Eclipse, it has such a celestial ring to it that really suits your work. Where did the idea come from?
Full credit for that goes to my daughter. I have an extremely close and open relationship with both my son and daughter and they know me to my core. I tend to see things in terms of their metaphysical importance so when I mentioned I was thinking of a name for my weaving practice, she immediately came to me with Loomer Eclipse and that was that!
What was your journey to becoming a weaver, and is this full or part-time for you?
Though I grew up in a fast-paced environment, I’ve always been drawn to slower, simpler times. Times when things were made with care and thought.
My maternal great grandfather was a master tailor. My mother spent every Sunday of her childhood watching him sew in their Brooklyn apartment. As a child, I’d play school in my basement while my single mother sewed and spray painted sweatshirts for her own business. So I have the artist/craftsman in my blood I suppose.
In terms of how I look at life, I’m always searching for patterns and combining opposing ideas to create something more harmonious. However, pragmatically speaking, I might be the worst multi-tasking human alive. I couldn’t focus on engaging with the craft in earnest until my children reached an age where I felt I could turn my mental focus inwards.
I’ve been fascinated by weaving since I first tried my hand at my neighbor’s spinning wheel when I was five. But I didn’t actually work a loom until I visited a Chilean Weaver’s studio in 2016. I’ve been playing with it consistently since then.
In work terms, I don’t think ANYONE has just one full or part-time job anymore but I will say my weaving practise takes up a large portion of my daily time and energy.
How do you spend your time when you’re not weaving?
I’m a therapy team with my dog so we go into hospitals, schools and work environments to help alleviate stressful situations. I’m also constantly travelling, reading, going to live music, museums and art galleries and tending to and enjoying the people in my life.
You said that you prefer to limit your online presence – can you elaborate?
Like so many, I have a majorly conflicting relationship with technology. I’d rather focus on a singular online presence which at the moment is my public Instagram account @loomereclipse- so I can focus on the work more than the technological upkeep. That said, I realize once I build my artistic practice up, I will probably (and happily) concede.
At the time of writing this you’re on a course for natural dyeing and weaving techniques, can you tell us a bit more about it?
I’d love to! I don’t think anyone can ignore the inevitable impact each of us has on the environment anymore and as I’m growing my practice, I want to make sure my footprint on the earth is as gentle and positive as possible. The documentary The True Cost on fast fashion had an enormous impact on me. I have a long way to go, but learning to use natural dyes seems like an important step. Equally important is recognizing where the deep tradition of weaving comes from in cultures all over the world and honouring those traditions. Artistically, I find it spiritually satisfying to work as close to the animal and earth as possible and though I still incorporate artificial materials in my wall hangings at the moment, I try to use recycled, antique materials whenever possible. There’s a definite shift occurring in me towards raw, stripped-down materials.
Tell us a bit about the piece you’re auctioning. What’s the inspiration and process behind it?
My main inspiration for this weave (and for almost everything in my life!) is the desire to pare things down to their essence, to strip away. For this weave, I’ve actually incorporated some artificial elements as an exploration of the materials I find around me living in the giant urban jungle of New York City. Thematically, I’m exploring interstitial space- the space between structures. I’m intrigued by the empty spaces between one moment and the next, where life is given breathe and a pause. For me, this space between warps is a metaphorical space where crucial questions are pondered and mysteries possibly revealed. The empty spaces never feel empty to me.
“Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lies all the usual words: discipline, love, work, but most of all, endurance.” -James Baldwin
LOOMER ECLIPSE WOVEN WALL HANGING AUCTION DETAILS
THE AUCTION WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN
12pm GMT 8TH – 7pm GMT 10TH OCTOBER
To participate in the auction follow The Fiber Studio on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/thefiberstudio/?hl=en. You must cast your bid in the comments section of the Instagram auction post.
Bidding is in British Pound Sterling.
Payment will be due via PayPal or bank transfer.
Only bids in the auction post’s comment section will count. Neither the Fiber Studio, not the artist, will accept bids made outside this space.
The Fiber Studio does not take any responsibly for the artwork after the auction has ended. This includes loss and damage. Once payment has cleared, I will send contact details of the buyer to the artist. The artist is responsible for any correspondence thereafter.
To see some of the previous pieces that have been auctioned On The Fiber Studio Instagram, see these articles:
Summer Auction #5 Emily Barletta Hand Embroidered Abstract Painting
Summer Auction #3 Fiber Art + Ceramics by Mayumi Sterchi of HIMO ART
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