Final Weaving – Iris Miao

Sample

Final

Intention

My starting inspiration for this project was to create a piece that would be representative of my life during this time. As I started my second year at CMU, I had a better idea of who I am as a person in respective to last year. However, I am still walking a shaky tightrope and figuring out my aspirations and where I want to end up. I decided to take this uncertainty and channel it into my weaving in the form of different techniques, colors, and fabrics. The precariousness of this period of time in my life is mirrored by the different sections of my weave, each block symbolizing a unique facet of my personality. Though it may seem incohesive, my weaving is a reflection of the various activities and fields I’ve delved into trying to figure out where I belong.

 

Process

I used a variety of different fabrics that were available to me and techniques that I intended to physicalize my storytelling abilities. The Rya knots that are dispersed throughout the weaving were a way for me to break up the tapestry and create moments of play where the tight weave would get intense. I included the carpet fabric as I thought it fit perfectly with the colors of the yarn I used to frame it. The loops at the top of the weave were added to further expand onto the Z plane as I did not want my weaving to be too flat. Finally, the pink wool and patterned fabric were intended to break up the tapestry with something that was more concrete and tie together the more abstract sections of the weave.

 

Learning

The key thing that I learned as I finished this project was the importance of cohesiveness. Though I made this piece with the intention of not having a stable thesis, I would wish for my next tapestry to convey a strong message that would reflect my character development. The different sections on my tapestry all seem incomplete in a way, however could be continued and expanded upon. If I were to do this again, I would select one of the sections and build on that. I feel it would make a bolder statement as well as give insight to who I am in a clearer way. Further, from this project, I gained a sense of respect and admiration for those who work in the industry as I realized how difficult and time consuming it is to start something of this magnitude and continue on with the same passion for it.