When I look at it, it reminds me of a game called Minecraft, where everything is blocky and pixelated, shown here:
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| This is a Minecraft player's rendition of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. |
I could go on and on about Minecraft all day, but that's not why we're here.
If you look closely at the tapestry, all angles are right angles. Now, some are small and close together, creating the appearance of obtuse angles, but they are only optical illusions. It is also symmetrical, a feature that I like because I prefer when things line up perfectly. It is a never ending maze of peaks and valleys, perfectly aligned to bring tranquility.
The colors are muted earth tones. This has a calming effect. There are several themes within the tapestry. There are rectangles, diamonds and triangles. There is the strong, bold black lines, forming the borders, the color brown, signifies the earth to me. The white represents a gentler version of the black lines. The black on white decorative border gives the appearance of fringe, or movement. A sign of life. The gray triangular areas seem to support the central design, encompassing the scene and bringing it all together.
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| A Creeper, one of the monsters of Minecraft. "That's a very nice everything you have there..." |
I needed to take a second look at it to see if they were all right angles, you're right some do seem like their obtuse but there not. I really love the intircate patterns of native art.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a beautiful weaving too. It's amazing how complex the design is and amazing how skilled Julia Jumbo is. The neutral colors are blended in these geometric patterns and testify of her remarkable abilities. The legends of the Spider Woman are not only Navajo,but Hopi and Keresan tribes as well. It seems she also taught them how to plant and how to create pottery, not just weaving. Skills were passed down orally,generation by generation. This particular weaving does have symmetrical qualities,and I am drawn to designs like that too. Crafting this must have been done with patience and an attention to detail. Did you know that sometimes,in some cultures,before weavers sit down to weave,they rub their hands in spider webs to absorb the knowledge and abilities of the Spider Woman? I appreciate Native American cultures because of their reverance for nature and all things living, and how their lifestyle was a refection of their myths and legends. Julia Jumbo was masterful in it's creation.
ReplyDeleteI like that you chose a piece that we did not cover in class. You have made a great comparison to a much more modern form of "art" that people are practicing around the world today. Even the colors remind me of the beginning of Mindcraft when there is not much in the world to start with before you begin crafting.
ReplyDeleteSymmetry in weaving has appealed to so many people groups, especially in weaving. This is one reason why Persian rugs hold such interest and Native American weavings are sought after by those visiting the Midwest. Perhaps in our present lives filled with chaos and change, it allows us to have a little corner of our world that is ordered and all in place.
The Navajo tapestry Two Grey Hills is very interesting to me. I like how the whole piece is entirely symmetrical as to the point that you turn it it in any way it is still symmetrical. I like how the outer detailing of the textile is like two gray hills put together making one. The coloring of the piece is very neutral but also feels like it has some warmth to it with an added reddish brown near the center from a 45 degree angle the 4 corners look a lot like mountains. I do notice that the detail is made of all smaller blocks and right angles in order to give the illusion of triangle and diamond like shapes. In a way this piece does remind me of the game Minecraft as it looks like an over head mapping view of a place.
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