dani lopez

Name: dani lopez

Pronouns: she/her

Studio location: Oakland, CA

Website / social links: danilopez.us, @dani___lopez___

Loom type or tool preference: Macomber 8 Harness Loom

Years weaving: 10

Fiber inclination: Wool for tapestry and I’m flexible on everything else

Current favorite weaving book: Tapestry Weaving: A Comprehensive Study Guide by Nancy Harvey has been my go to for the past few years as I’ve continued to level up my tapestry skills. I recommend this book and anything by Rebecca Mezoff to beginner tapestry weavers.

Contact information for commissions and collaborations: email address

 

 

1. How did you discover weaving and was what your greatest resource as a beginner?

I discovered weaving at the University of Oregon near the end of my BFA. I felt grateful that things in my art practice suddenly felt like they made sense. My greatest resource? My mentor, Diedrick Brackens, was the greatest resource as a beginner. By just existing as a gay black man, I felt seen as a queer woman of color in a PWI (predominantly white institution). His support and mentorship pushed me to pursue an MFA and move out of Oregon, where I grew up and spent most of my life.

2. How do you define your practice – do you consider yourself an artist / craftsperson / weaver / designer / general creative or a combination of those? Is this definition important to you?

I’m an artist first, a weaver second. But I also want those things to co-exist and not have a hierarchy. The definition is important because while craft, specifically weaving, is “having a moment” in the contemporary art world, I want weavers to feel at ease with their work without comparing it to painting or sculpture. The contemporary art world needs to catch up with us and allow us to talk about our work in relation to other weavers or artists working in the craft industry, not just painters and sculptors.

3. Describe your first experience with weaving.

I tell this story to students when I teach weaving. I remember warping and frantically asking Diedrick, what is it that I’m doing?! He said, just trust me. When students struggle in my classes, I tell them that things didn’t make sense for the longest time and that I struggled a lot. When I learned tapestry weaving from Erin Riley, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever do it again (it was that difficult). Now, it’s primarily what I do. I tell students, trust falls into my metaphorical arms; I will catch you, and I promise it will make sense the second time you weave.

4. What is your creative process, from the initial idea to the finished piece? Are there specific weave structures, looms, or fibers that are important to your process?

My creative process always starts with a picture or an idea in my mind, usually connected to a song or a feeling. Then, I research images from movies, TV shows, music videos, and archival images of lesbians. Sometimes, I use source imagery; other times, I re-stage images and put myself in them. Using lesbian and queer culture, history, and archival footage helps ground my current project, 3 Dykes Walk into a Bar. I’m a plain weave queen, and I tell colleagues and students it is vastly underrated. Whether I’m weaving a tapestry or using plain weave to explore color and structure, it’s the foundation for a reason.

5. Does your work have a conceptual purpose or greater meaning? If so, do you center your making around these concepts?

Absolutely yes. My work is grounded in storytelling and narrative. The work also leans heavily on lesbian histories and subcultures. While these things are at the forefront of my practice, so are textiles and their history. This work has to be made with weaving (and embroidery and textile sculpture). The feminist work of the 1970s, specifically within textiles, made a lasting impact when I discovered that work during my undergraduate studies.

 

6. What is your favorite part of the weaving process and why? What’s your least favorite?

It shifts a lot, but after I’ve put on a header, I am so excited to start weaving. I learn so much about the process and myself with every weaving I make. I would also say cutting off my tapestries is pretty exciting because they often take three, four, or five months to complete. To get it off the loom and onto a wall feels like that big full-circle moment. The moments after when I take time to sit and look at what I’ve made are also one of my favorite parts. My least favorite is dressing the loom. It’s such a ramp-up to the best part that I always want to rush through it, but I have to tell myself to slow down (because rushing always leads to threading errors).

7. Do you sell your work or make a living from weaving? If so, what does that look like and how has that affected your studio practice?

I don’t make a living from my work, and I still consider myself an emerging artist in that way. I would say that having a full-time job also affects my practice because I have gotten so focused and skilled with time management. Between having three jobs (full-time gig, teaching, and studio practice), I am laser-focused when I go to the studio. Gone are the grad school days of sitting at my desk and wondering what next move I should make. I miss those lackadaisical days, but I am also grateful for how focused and diligent I’ve become.

8. Where do you find inspiration?

Music, queer culture, and women/trans folks/non-binary folks. The majority of my work starts when I’m listening to music. An inspiration or an idea will come while listening to a song, then comes the research (sometimes books, other times it’s oral histories, tv shows, or conversations I’ve had), and finally, the idea solidifies. Finally, I decided how it would be made (lately, it’s tapestries, sometimes double weave pick-up, embroidery, or textile sculpture).

9. What other creatives do you admire – weavers, artists, entrepreneurs – and why?

Erin Riley, the GOAT of tapestry. Diedrick Brackens because he’s my mentor and friend. Josh Faught, because he’s my other mentor and the work has impacted me so much. Macon Reed, because the work speaks so directly to lesbian and queer communities who need it. Tyrell Tapaha, Ashley Bradley, and Melissa Cody because they are making tapestry weaving so exciting. My weaver friends Margot Becker, Dance Doyle, and Carolina Cuevas because having weaving friends to ask for tips and tricks, get a beer with, and talk shop is one of my favorite things.

10. If you could no longer weave, what would you do instead?

I actively try not to think about this (as someone with carpal tunnel). Still, I would teach weaving history and theory, volunteer at art museums, or become a serious book club aficionado (I generally read over 75 books a year).

Do you have any upcoming exhibits, talks, or events the community should know about?

I am currently in a group exhibition at Berkeley Art Center and I am a Lucas Visual Arts Fellow at Montalvo Art Center.