Deborah Weir

I am a mixed media artist who primarily uses textiles in my work. Though contemporary in every sense, the work I do references traditional “women’s work,” slowly built up, mostly by hand, with a needle, using gentle materials – fabrics, thread, floss – in addition to more modern edgier ones such as Tyvek, metals and found objects. My work is detailed, often with reflective surfaces and tiny, rich elements, and does not always neatly fit typical categories but includes collage and heavily worked or embroidered surfaces as well as art quilts and weaving. I choose from myriad techniques, whatever works to express my vision. I love the process of making, but my work is always idea driven. I work in series so that I can pursue themes of importance to me. The 15,000-55,000 year-old cave paintings of northern Spain, southern France and Australia are the subject of one such series. Pomegranates, which represent fecundity and come in the most amazing colors, create an additional one. A series of about industrial detritus is made of fabrics, rusty metal and random “junk” which sparkles and intrigues. Early human mark-making is an ever-present theme. My series Fierce Winds explores the excitement and terror of searing winds which have been exacerbated by sudden climate change. And Confluence, a show I curated and sent to six venues over three years, considers aspects of water: its beauty, scarcity and impact. My work in Confluence deals with the Pacific Gyre and was comprised of household plastics and other discards. In 2019, I completed a 3-part series called Incarceration. It explores issues of imprisonment and is based in part on a visit to Alcatraz and study of a WWII POW camp in Hereford, TX, which led to the artistic development of Arturo Burri. There are 9 quilts, 17 “cells” on stretcher bars, and a dozen 6” square embroideries called the Keys. A new collaboration (Bent Needle Collective) is in the works as is a new series examining the relationship between degradation and hope. Subsequently, I made a series of 17 figures which range in height from 1' - 7'. Wounded Sentinels are forest guardians doing their best to protect us from the ravages of climate change and the devastating fires that it has lead to. During the pandemic I created 2 new series. The first was of small, colorful but quite small embroideries called MINIMS. The second was Pendules. These are big, bold multi-part pieces in 3D. They are wall-hung but can be viewed from various angles and their shadows are an essential aspect of the work. My recent work is primarily three dimensional. It demands attention, literally stepping off the wall into space typically reserved for the observer. This requires the viewer to both stand back and then move in, carefully closer, to see the details. Whose space is this? Is compromise required for the observer to share the experience with the artwork? A new challenge and reformed dialog for both the creator and the viewer. My curatorial approach is to collect the very best work on a clear theme and present a “ready to hang” exhibition. These exhibits are designed to meet the stated mission of the exhibiting venue and I work closely with the exhibition department. I have done a great deal of publicity and bring that to the shows I curate. I have been the co-chair of PR for the Art Cloth Network for well over a decade. The objective of my artwork is to awaken the mind of the viewer by means of visual seduction.