SCLP 309: Fibre Sculpture

This studio course examines the resurgence of fibre in contemporary art practice and provides a critical lens through which to examine issues of gender and labour, class, domesticity, utility and decoration, skill, time, process, value and production. The historical and theoretical content of the course will provide students with the necessary grounding to broaden their ideas about the role of fibre in contemporary sculpture practice. Students will learn about the histories that inform this initially utilitarian tradition, to an experimental, hybrid platform for artists to create dynamic, sculptural forms. Students will be introduced to tools, materials and processes used to produce fibre-based sculpture. Through a series of assigned and self-directed projects, students will experiment with malleable, fibrous materials and construction methods may include weaving, sewing, quilting, basketry and more, to create three-dimensional fibre structures. Research, readings, discussions, and critiques are an integral part of the course.