Marcia Morse Mullins

Statement

I prepare my weaving materials by hand, beginning with a freshly cut black ash log. Layer by layer, I remove the growth ring fractals, reduce them to narrow strips of splint, and reassemble them into woven forms bearing tessellations, fractals, and other patterns that can be achieved with knotting, twills, triaxial layering, curled surface embellishments, and other weaving methodologies. My material preparation techniques were learned 30 years ago from a Potawatomi elder, whose teachings I still follow. A considerable amount of math is required to translate natural patterns (such as the Fibonacci spiral) to woven works.

Artworks

Multiple layers of triaxial weaving with algorithmic color placement creates a repeating self-similar triangular tessellation. A slight curve introduces three-dimensional Euclidean space which is further augmented by the infinitesimal rotation of vector fields with clockwise and counter-clockwise circulation. This piece is made of hand-pounded black ash in natural, cobalt blue, and bronze. Colors are achieved with fiber-reactive dye which binds with the cellulose in the wood splint. The weaving is mounted in a black shadow box for easy display.