Melanie Thompson

Diana Sanderson

 

material considerations

March 1 - April 2

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Artist Statements

 

MELANIE THOMPSON

I am a multidisciplinary artist. My work is materials driven and that is what inspires my making. My approach is experimental and I push the material to see what it is capable of. I work with natural and found materials.

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Everything is grist for the mill. I often obtain materials without having a clue what to do with them, the process of working with the material in an exploratory way informs my decisions of what to make, what techniques to use, what form they take.

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Materials also direct the concept behind the work which leads to large installations and collaborations with other artists.

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My work is very often conceptual and multi layered. Working on installations is a conceptual manner affords me the opportunity to incorporate a variety of disciplines and techniques, from knitting to printmaking. My approach to creating is always with the question, 'What will happen if...?'.

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DIANA SANDERSON

Diana Sanderson has spent the last 40 years indulging her fascination with the inherent qualities of silk by dying and weaving it to create distinctive garments and accessories. The Silk Weaving Studio on Granville Island has been the center of her exploration, providing a space that inspires her and creates an environment for exploration of the natural characteristics of the fiber for her fellow weavers. 

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Salt Spring Island is now Diana's home and it is here that she has continued her exploration of natural materials but now branching out into naturally dyed three dimensional work, still using silk but adding gut, wire and other structural materials like branches, twigs and vines. These new materials and forms are offering her endless fascination and challenges as she endeavors to combine them in ways that highlight their inherent characteristics.

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