BJ Parady Fiber Arts and Notes

I’ve never been to art school. Taken a few classes here and there, read a lot of books. So my view of abstract art may be, is probably, totally my own and should be taken with many grains of salt.

c2012 BJ Parady

So, in my mind, there are two kinds of abstracted art. One is based on design, shapes and colors and lines put together to make an interesting surface, with no thought of representational art. The other is looking at something in the real world, working with the composition and abstracting the essence of the subject matter to make an interesting surface.

I find myself only capable of doing the latter. Even when I’m working with random shapes, using hand dyed cloth and its irregularities, I always see real things in the splotches. As in the piece above, what started out looking like tree trunks to me now looks like an abandoned factory in my town.

c2011 BJ Parady

I found the tree standing on the hill in this piece. Once seen, I couldn’t look away. The randomness and happenstance are part of what keeps me hand dyeing and discharging.

What I don’t know is why this is the way it is. Is in an innate need to make sense of patterns? Is it the part of my brain that likes realistic art trying to assert itself? Does it matter to me that people looking at my art may see something entirely different than me? To that last question, as it turns out, not much.

What about you? How do you make abstract art?