Jan Friedman » Artist Registry

Biographical Info

Jan Friedman, “In my work, the constant reference is nature. My unframed tapestries draw their inspiration from sky, water, land, and vegetation. The warp for these pieces is cotton seine twine, and the wefts are a combination of wool, cotton, rayon, metallic yarn, and dyed silk fabric strips. I like to contrast flat areas of gradual color transitions with more textured regions of exuberant hue. I also enjoy creating framed fiber collages in which I employ a wide variety of textile techniques and materials, such as small tapestries, dyed and woven bands, and sun prints on linen and silk organza. The textile elements are combined with natural treasures found on walks, which include such items as leaves, shells, feathers, sticks, and stones. These found objects are stored until they are needed in a specific collage. In contrast to the highly planned tapestries, I work intuitively on the collages, bringing together and arranging those elements in order to make a piece whose soul and energy is greater than the sum of its parts. I want my work to entice the viewer and elicit a response, whether it is spiritual, emotional, or curiosity about content and techniques employed.”