Join us for Art Committee Conversations with resident David Fraser at 3:30 pm in the Large Meeting Room on A Parallel Life in Textiles. David Fraser draws on close study of museum objects, field investigation and studio work to understand textile art from multiple angles. In this talk he will focus on vessels that he makes by ply-split braiding, a technique still used in Rajasthan and Gujarat mostly to make harnesses for camels. After an introduction to describe how he was drawn to this work, he will discuss the intellectual process — a dialogue between artistic aspiration and technical development — that precedes the design and execution of the work. Examples of his vessels will be shown to illustrate both the artist’s goals and the technical advances needed to realize them. In the course of the talk, he will demonstrate key steps in the fabrication of his pieces, including cord making and the splitting of plies with a wooden needle.
