Well Used, Well Loved by Sarah Haskell Installation

January 2016, I launched Well Used, Well Loved (WUWL) a long term community art project that was an examination of age, beauty and impermanence in the human body and in the physical world around us. Through a series of ten reflective prompts, more than 30 WUWL households responded by writing in either a journal or on special Japanese (Kozo) paper. Prompt #6 was: “The materials for this project are hand woven linen and Kozo paper. Both are created from plant fibers, known for their absorption qualities. Absorption can also been seen as dissolving boundaries. In that light what parallels or connection do you observe between your own ability to absorb, to soak up, to empathize? What connections do you perceive between your linen/paper and the action of union, of dissolving boundaries, connection? What value do these actions have today? The Kozo paper filled with stories, drawings and memories (including excerpts from the journals) was spun into paper thread called Shifu and woven into a four-panel wall piece. The two side panels are woven in a brocade technique using hand spun paper for the supplementary weft. This technique allows the Shifu paper weft to float on the surface of the plain weave ground. The two center panels are hand dyed linen woven in a plain weave, then embroidered with cotton floss with a hand spun Shifu paper thread that is couched in the surface. Biography Thread is the medium with which she builds her work. Sarah Haskell dyes linen, silk and rayon threads. She spins paper with text on it into thread. Her textile art explores imagery of house, home and the body investigating themes such as impermanence, attachment, human desire and fear. As a sailor and a swimmer, she cannot escape the magnetic pull of the ocean which appears regularly in her work. Parallel to her studio practice, she guides community projects that engage diverse groups in a creative dialogue to uncover our common threads as well as those that define our differences. This balance between her solo and community work supports a dynamic symbiosis that has driven her work for decades. This year, Sarah Haskell celebrates 50 years as a weaver. She says, “Just as in a woven cloth there are some threads that are visible and dominant and there are some threads that are buried or hidden – in my own life’s journey there are subtle or hidden’“threads.’ I am curious about the parallels between the human body and cloth. Both are subject to wear and tear, both breathe and show evidence from abrasion. Both have qualities of absorption and flexibility. Following this path of inquiry, I weave linen which I expose to the elements, weather and time.” ⠀⠀⠀

Multi-paneled Installation:Textile on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:144 W x 72 H x 1 D in

Number of Panels:2

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.