I designed this wallhanging at the textile laboratory of Fondazione Le Costantine, in the Salento region (Apulia), where I spent a month as an artist in residence. It was realized, under my supervision, by the Fondazione’s weavers, Lena Paiano, Rosalba Cariddi, Claudia Monteforte, Rosaria Schito, Silvana Rubrichi, and my assistant Giulia Pils. For this project I introduced those weavers, who are highly skilled in several techniques, to a weave that was new to them, doubleweave. Together with them I exploited the possibility of weaving a two-layer piece open on both sides, so I planned three big Vs, to be woven one after the other on the same warp. Once they were cut off from the warp, they were slipped onto a single metal bar at the top and each kept taut by a heavy bar inserted in the doubleweave section at the base. The warp is of alternating yellow and blue threads, and thanks to the doubleweave structure I could play with the two colours, separating them for the two side Vs and keeping them alternated in the central one. The dazzlingly bright yellow and the rich blue represent for me the sun and sea of Salento, and the green effect resulting from their mingling represent the trees.

 previous    next