It was our privilege to have Ruth Jones, a master textile artist, design an elaborate window installation for our 50 Water St. showroom in conjunction with the Textile Society of America Biennial Symposium held in Vancouver. When you meet Ruth and see the dedication and passion that she has for her work, you gain a new appreciation for the art and craft behind textiles.
In a recent interview with Ruth, she shares insight into her discovery, pursuit, and love of her craft. She elaborates on her new exploration into collaboration and the exchange of skills, experience, and knowledge with other textile artists. This new endeavour, Ruth explains, is reflected in the collaborative nature of the projects displayed in the window installation.
A central theme of the work on display titled “Archi/texture” is how art can be participatory and a community effort; “leading to creation of objects often greater than sum of their parts. Projects develop by exchange and excitement, gathering commitment through each maker’s knowledge and aesthetic, perspectives widen mutually. Each artist, often isolated in a solitary endeavour, experiences collegiality, surprise and perhaps fulfillment.” — Ruth Jones.
The main display entitled “A Nap in the Bee-Loud Glade” featured Edra’s Pack sofa by Francesco Binfaré — with a honey drunk bear sleeping peacefully under a wild beehive, while three felted honey bees buzz about. This piece was a collaborative effort between Ruth, Christine Rouget (beehives) and Eszter Burghardt (felted wild honey bees). The other collaborative installations included a series of Espaigneul Stools made by Ruth, Philippe Salary, Skooker Broome and Colin Johnson and separately, set within a temporary textile studio in which Ruth worked daily, sat a Passegiata electric bike that Ruth along with Lucie Manderveld yarn-bombed beautifully.