MARIAN BIJLENGA:
Drawing with Horsehair
In every work by Dutch fiber artist Marian Bijlenga, many small and similar--but never identical--elements are stitched into a web of invisible nylon thread to create a harmonious whole. Whether a thousand small dots radiating out from a corner point or two hundred curved lines suggesting watery swirls, her work is characterized by repetitive, lacelike elements that float, touching neither each other nor the wall from which they are suspended. The result is serene, orderly, and contemplative work that beautifully expresses Bijlenga's vision of the natural world.
"I see my work as drawing," says Bijlenga. "I like patterns, and when you work with lines and dots, you see lines and dots everywhere." While her early work often alluded to alphabets and calligraphy, she now takes her inspiration from nature: white fungal dots on tree trunks, the curve of eucalyptus leaves, swirling water eddies. She also recently completed a series of portraits, a departure from her usual abstractions.
Many of her works convey three-dimensionality using a limited pallette of shapes and colors. All hang precisely one straight-pin's length from the wall and are never hung behind glass, in order to enhance their transparency and shadows, which she considers integral. Some recent works use two colors of dot--one being the "shadow color" of the other--as well as the wall shadows, to create additional depth.
I noticed her jacket too, SomethingElse!
I wonder if she designed/ made it! Her shirt on the inside is interesting too
