This is the 4th part of a 4 part series on the exhibit Three Voices recently up in Maryville, TN featuring the work of Jennifer Sargent, Tommye Scanlin, and Pat Williams. I’ve been enamored of Pat’s work since I first learned of it while perusing Tex@ATA exhibits on the ATA website. Tommye Scanlin curated a wonderful exhibit of her work if you’re interesting in learning more.

I can’t begin to express how thrilling it was to see these works in person. To discover the techniques and materials she chose to use. I had no idea some of her tapestries even had metallics in them. Obeisance, above, is a good example, although the photo doesn’t do it justice; I’m so sorry I neglected to get a detail of it. There’s actually a thin metallic running through the wallpaper and mirror - which literally shimmers!

If you’re familiar with Pat Williams’ work, the wonderful expression in her faces and the gestural qualities she achieves will most likely come to mind. They’re often described as whimsical. But as Tommye Scanlin pointed out in her curator’s statement for the Tex@ATA exhibit: “The stories contained within her tapestries are likewise often puzzling; while they often make one laugh aloud, there is always one more aspect, as viewers first find the humor and then notice an unease or poignancy within the stories.”

A big surprise to me in seeing these pieces up close was the intricacy in areas like the hair in The Last Grasp. The added sheen and texture created by using what looked to be a thin rayon slub often doesn’t come across well in a digital image.

Likewise, little details such as the use of yellow outlining below are often missed when not seen in person.

Her borders and choice of techniques have always intrigued me, like here in A Good Marriage.

And the outlines… Most of these tapestries are woven at 6 EPI. The “steps’ that occur at this sett are actually accentuated in the arms and legs of the figure, further adding to the overall emotional impact of the piece.

It’s not surprising I’m so drawn to Pat’s work. I’m always attracted to texture and movement in art and she achieves both brilliantly.

There are even some added beads and possibly surface embellishment (?) in some of the tapestries.

Another wonderful - refreshing even - surprise to me was the way she displayed the warp ends as knots.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Less is More”; it’s a common mantra in art school. I’ve chosen to ignore it in this post; I say the more the better.

Pat did a series of full moon studies in 2015, some of which resulted in tapestries shown in this exhibit.

I wanted to share more of them, so read on…

Part One: Three Voices

Part Two: Jennifer Sargent

Part Three: Tommye Scanlin

Part Four: Pat Williams continued

(As in the previous posts, forgive the shadows in some of the images. It was very hard to work around the lighting in the gallery and I did not want to butcher the quality with editing.)