weaving lab

Weaving Lab combines two points of entry into weaving: one considers historical models of local production and asks whether access to looms as a social destination within communities might create a contemporary analog to the “fireside industries” of old; the other conceptual side called speculative weaving, asks participants to approach the act weaving as an end in itself, and to consider time, rhythm, meditation, and materiality. Speculative Weaving is the term I have coined to encompass an approach that bridges the divide between craft-based traditions and conceptual work wherein weaving serves as the nucleus of community engagement and the catalyst for broad interdisciplinary explorations.

As a public site offering opportunities for tutorials and exploration, Weaving Lab recalls historical models of local production and asks whether access to looms as a social destination might create community and serve as a contemporary analog to the cottage and “fireside industries”[i] of old. Participants are encouraged to approach the act weaving as an end in itself, while also considering the act in relation to conceptual domains of time, rhythm, meditation, and materiality.