Joanne Lamb

Name: Joanne Lamb

Pronouns: She / Her

Studio location: West London, England

Website / social links: joannelambstudio.co.uk, @joannelambstudio

Loom type or tool preference: I’m currently mostly off loom exploring expressive basketry. I combine simple basketry techniques such as random weaving with more typically textile techniques and materials. I also enjoy experimenting using frame looms creating textured tapestries. I keep on finding ways to weave without a loom, but at the same time I would LOVE my own loom.

Years weaving: Longish story… 4 years weaving followed by a break of 15 years where I told other people what to weave working as a textile designer + 18 months back at it myself and I’ve never been happier.

Fiber inclination: I only use natural fibres covering paper, protein and cellulosic fibres. I want to promote the benefits of nature in my pieces, so I’m drawn to softly textured, natural fibre yarns, especially wool, mohair, silk, nettle and alpaca. I naturally dye the yarns as well as gathering up deadstock and waste yarns so most of them are not repeatable.

Current favorite weaving book: “Finding form with fibre” by Ruth Woods. This book is an amazing introduction to the world of natural weaving and serves as both an inspiration and education on how to get started with your own personal explorations.

Contact information for commissions and collaborations: email address

 

 

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

I’m from Belfast in Northern Ireland which was once an industrial hub for manufacturing linen in the 19th century. It was always present but was definitely more in the background growing up. Actually in my first job post design degree I worked for one of the last linen mills before it closed manufacturing in 2009.

Going to art college for my undergraduate degree and getting on a loom for the first time was a real eureka moment… I abandoned my aspirations of becoming a fashion designer and solely wanted to focus on woven textiles. Weaving was all I wanted to do, I just loved the whole process of it from start to finish; the planning, the threading  (I could happily thread all day!), the winding and tying on, and then wanting to go off piste immediately as soon as I got on the loom.

I finally understood why I always wanted to touch fabrics, there seems to be something within me which loves the look and feel of linear structures.

As a beginner I admired the innovation of the Nuno Corporation but also loved that their fabrics were rooted in traditional Japanese crafts. They had this sophistication which I could never quite obtain but they definitely motivated me to want to try.

(When I went back to college after 15 years away from a loom for my Masters degree last year, I’d been away for so long and assumed I’d spend all my time in the loom room. However the desire and the challenge of going 3D captivated me more in the end so I began using my own intuition to explore my personal version of basketry.)

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 like the word ‘Maker’ which is becoming more and more commonly adopted these days. Making is integral to my artistic practice; and the more I make the more ideas I have to keep on creating. I think having spent so many years working in the textile industry designing homewares, as much as I worked closely with suppliers and factories and was very hands on with the product design and specification, I was removed from the actual making process and really missed this crucial part.

I want to make objects which haven’t existed before; I can express myself through the materials and allow the materials to transform into something new. I think we all need to become more materialistic with objects, and appreciate the stories of where they’ve come from, and what is involved in their making.

3. Describe your first experience with weaving.

I don’t remember weaving with textiles until I went to art college in my late teens. But then I really went for it - I think my first project was called ‘Acid Folk’ so there were luminous threads, tassels, and basically just shoving anything and everything through the weft that I could get my hands on. I was so curious about learning what was possible and how I could push it that at one point I tried test tubes filled with glass beads in the weft - I was always a bit more is more, my tutor called me ‘everything but the kitchen sink girl’! Thankfully my current work is more restrained but I still have to sometimes fight the urge not to overdo it.

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?

First and foremost I need to be outside experiencing nature and the seasons. I believe that I, along with every other living being, deserve to enjoy the beauty of the natural world. We all need to deepen our connection and emotional relationship with our environment. I create from remembered landscapes which I carry with me - and remembered sensations of them, which of course become altered. I'm trying to convey my impressions of nature in my artworks - the traces that I’ve been left with.

I will record my experiences using a mixture of painting, creating yarn wraps and collages as well as photography, to channel the colours and textures I’ve observed, experienced and remembered, creating a portrait of place and becoming more attuned to the seasonal shifts.  I’m trying to paint with the yarns in an impressionistic way when making my vessels so the techniques are quite loose and delicate. I love how the threads are not beaten into a fixed weave, allowed to slide up and down within the vessels, with light passing through. I want them to feel almost like watercolours.

Through combining textile and basketry techniques together in my artworks, I have brought a textile language to expressive basketry. After creating a woven structure with tatami paper yarn using a mould, I then interlace textural yarns including wool, mohair and silk with tactile qualities to invite touch. These pieces directly connect to my experiences in nature, where colour and texture become tangible references to memory.

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

I’m driven by the desire to connect with and preserve the beauty of nature. By tuning into the cycles and seasons I hope to communicate what the planet has given us, and inspire a deeper appreciation of the natural world. I want to make art that invites others into the web of reciprocity. By viewing the world as a gift my intention is that it will motivate us to take better care of it. Building and creating a sense of awe and wonder is key if we are to build respect and reverence for the living world.

It’s definitely important to me to centre my making around these concepts, as otherwise I could easily veer into just making pretty decorative objects. It encourages me to continue learning about traditional ecological knowledge, my cultural heritage whilst most importantly enjoying nature for myself. I want to create work based on my experiences and making instincts - creating for myself and then sharing this with others. Hopefully it’s then enjoyed by other people too and it provides them with a moment to be in nature through the work.

 

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

Generally being absorbed in the making process and thinking through making is the most enjoyable part for me. As I weave around a form, I don’t know the final result until I’ve cut the vessel from the mould which is always exciting, unless it gets a bit stuck, which is a wee bit scary sometimes in case I ruin it! Once it’s off the mould and I give it a little twirl in my hands and see the shadows it casts, to me that’s a lovely moment and I’m pleased with what I have created.

My least favourite part right now is remembering to record my making, whether it's the preparation or the process of making. I’ll finish doing something and then realise that this would have been good to film for a little reel. I enjoy it when others do it and can see how it’s a great way to share and communicate with others but I always remember too late.

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?

Over the past six months I have started selling my work to private clients and interior designers which is really amazing. I’ll be doing more exhibitions, approaching contemporary craft galleries to represent me as well as hopefully partnering with interior designers and stylists in order to increase my profile and get my work seen. I’m really open to all opportunities which come my way as I navigate this new path.

I would love to be able to make a reasonable living selling my work, combined with teaching and facilitating workshops to inspire others about the joy of nature, but this will all take time and perseverance on my part. Right now as long as I can cover my material and studio costs, and get the opportunity to meet other like minded creatives to have a more fulfilling life then that’s what I’m focusing on. That’s why I wanted to change my career and hopefully build a more creative way of life.

My dream would be to start receiving commissions to respond to beautiful nature spaces, whether they be gardens, forests, beaches or the mountains. I’m looking for a residency this year to discover new landscapes and see what this inspires in me, getting back to exploring new processes and continuing to experiment with forms and natural materials.

8. Where do you find inspiration?

I go to Kews Gardens a lot which is a stunning botanical paradise in London which looks amazing 365 days of the year. I can lose myself there and spend all day enjoying the various corners of the gardens. I also do all my exercise outdoors including running and a bootcamp exercise class which very often sparks an idea too. I might glimpse a lovely vista in the middle of some push ups, trying to hold onto that memory even though I’m a bit exhausted!

Living in London for the past 9 years, I’m very privileged to be able to access some of the best museums and galleries in the world. Although some of the big galleries are starting to get so expensive. Tate Modern and the Serpentine Gallery in Hyde Park always have interesting exhibitions. I recently went to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen which was an absolute haven, especially their outdoor sculpture park right by the sea. The Firelei Báez exhibition absolutely blew my mind, with the vivid colours and reinterpreted folktales bursting from the canvas.

I’m a huge devotee of the Impressionists, with Monet being extremely important to me in the context of depicting the beauty of nature - he is unrivalled! His use of colour and the subtle way the tones move into another creates immersive works which are so evocative and pure escapism to me.

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

The absolutely stunning work of Rebecca Louise Law really motivated me to go back to college and aspire to create work as beautiful as hers to share with others. She creates large floral installations so that you can journey with her into the wonder of the natural world, experiencing and valuing nature by putting it on a pedestal.

I love contemporary makers Pip Rice, Katharine Swailes, Studio Herron and Elishia Jackson as well as long standing basket makers Maggie Smith and Hilary Burns… Oh and of course the mighty Sheila Hicks!! They all have their own unique style yet don’t stand still, continuing to take creative risks and simply relish making and the materials.

Lastly Lenore Tawney - I’m sure probably nearly everyone says Tawney (!) but she was a true original who created just for herself, never seeming to care what anyone else thought of explorations. Her weavings are so intimate, it’s almost as if she’s trying to figure out the meaning of life, and I personally think weaving is a pretty good place to start.

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

I’d still want to do something that would make me go outside into nature which actually doesn't come naturally! I like that my practice challenges me to be the best version of myself. Maybe I’d be a modern day botanist inspired by Marianne North who was a remarkable person. She travelled the world exploring and painting all the interesting plants she discovered. Or realistically I’d be a colour consultant or textile designer again and go back to telling others what to make. Although now that I’m back weaving again I never want to let it go… it helps me make sense of the world and I feel like a much happier person.

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

Future Icons Selects, London Craft Week, Bargehouse Oxo Tower Wharf, London 15-19th May 2024

This show will feature the work of 50+ craft led artisans during London Craft Week which is a real celebration of exceptional craftsmanship and creativity from around the world. I’ll be creating new work which captures the transition from the winter months into spring; from darkness into the light.