Meghan Spielman

Name: Meghan Spielman

Studio location: Brooklyn, NY

Website / social links: megmarymarie.com, @megmarymarie

Loom type or tool preference: 32 Harness AVL Compu-Dobby, TC1 Digital Jacquard

Years weaving: 8

Fiber inclination: Silk, mohair, cotton gima

Current favorite weaving book: Art_Textiles

 

 

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

In 2011 I travelled to Paris to intern at Malhia Kent, a textile mill known for producing intricate novelty tweeds. There I learned the very basics, tapestry weaving on a frame loom and warping a table loom. From then on I never stopped weaving and started making many small tapestry explorations. Although highly time consuming it allowed me to explore the materiality and making process of weaving while having little technical training in it. Ultimately I went on to study an MA in weaving at the Royal College of Art in London. I learned so much from my peers in that environment, it was a very collaborative and rewarding experience.

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?

All of the above. I am very interested in the connotations of the language that surrounds textiles. Weaving is deeply embedded with an association with women, thus it is often asked to defend or justify its presented context. I consider myself an artist, but weaving’s ability to challenge the boundaries of what makes an artist/designer/craftsperson etc. is essential to my art.

3. Describe your first experience with weaving.

When I first learned to weave at Malhia Kent, I was in a French-speaking environment (speaking very little French myself). This atmosphere allowed me to learn a skill and connect with people through materiality rather than language. The experience was incredible, and I felt as though I had found a home in weaving.

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?

Usually I start with the warp. I determine the boundaries within which I want to work and let the rest unfold as I am weaving. I don’t like to plan the full piece before it is woven, because once I start weaving the loom and fiber reveal a lot of information that can only be learned through physical experience. Although I have an overall concept in my mind, I find that the works always transform into something I could have never envisioned. They are a result of intuition and reaction to color and materials. I find this process very similar to abstract, modernist painting.

Regarding fibers, silk is a very important material in my work; it carries color beautifully. However I also like to mix many yarn types and use contrasting finishes such as juxtaposing slick nylon cord with textural silk chenille. 

I weave on both a 32 harness AVL compu-dobby and a TC1 jacquard loom. I usually change out yarns and structures frequently while weaving so it helps a lot to be able to have my structures saved in the computer.

 

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

Recently, I have been exploring weaving’s historical relationship with painting. My work asks the question what are the boundaries between a painting and a textile? At what point does the viewer’s perception change from one to another?  

I am also very interested in the notion of sentimentality and our relationship with precious objects. As a lifelong collector, I often look to my own sentimental objects for inspiration. By layering, distorting and weaving together the visual language of these sentimental items I aim to both preserve and meld the memory into something new.

 

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

My favorite part of the weaving process is trying out new yarns and finding a satisfying combination of structure, color, and materials. I feel a rush of excitement when I see color and materials intersecting in a new and unexpected way.

My least favorite is anything having to do with heddles - counting them, moving them, threading, etc. I often wish I could skip that step and begin weaving, but ultimately when the warp is finally set-up and I can weave the first few picks it makes that moment all the more rewarding.

7. Where do you find inspiration?

I’ve always found myself drawn to painting. Color is an important aspect in my work, and I love the ability of paint to create gorgeous, complex color. Female painters like Helen Frankenthaler and Hilma af Klint are particularly exciting to me lately. I love visiting museums and galleries as often as possible, but often times I find that inspiration hits me when I am not looking for it. Living in New York I walk a lot, it allows my subconscious to process and is usually when I come up with my best ideas.

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

There are many. But one of my greatest admirations will always be for Louise Bourgeois. I saw her work for the first time at her retrospective at the Guggenheim in 2008. Her tension between light and dark, captured through materials and storytelling transformed my understanding of what art could be. I love that her work is expansive across many styles and mediums, and that she never stopped exploring, growing and transforming.

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

Probably paint!