Christine Laffer: Lines of Inquiry

Weaving is, by nature, a linear process. Whether in small areas, or across the entire width of the fabric the cloth builds line by line, in an additive fashion. It seems appropriate, therefore, or perhaps even inevitable, that weft stripes occur in textiles from all cultures. They are quintessentially “texture,” one of the universal, graphic components of the language of weaving. It might come as no surprise that a thoughtful artist, one who has been concerned with the nature of her chosen medium and the implications of that medium’s qualities and properties for her own creative path, might become interested in stripes, might even develop a creative conversation in which lines and stripes become a leitmotif, a subtext of the work. It is through this lens what I wish to consider the relationship between the different forms of expression within Christine Laffer’s artistic oeuvre. Read the accompanying essay Christine Laffer- Lines of Inquiry to learn more about the work included in the exhibition.

Curator’s Biography

Mary Lane is an artist and art historian. She began weaving tapestry in 1976 and in 1982 became a founding member of the Scheuer Tapestry Studio in New York City. Lane’s tapestries have been published and exhibited internationally and have been collected by both private and corporate art collections, including the IBM Corporation, the State of Maine, the City of Seattle, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Northland Investment Corporation, and Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Lane’s writing on contemporary textiles has been published widely. Lane’s teaching experience includes Parsons School of Design, the University of Maine and The Evergreen State College. Lane recently retired from the American Tapestry Alliance as the Executive Director.