Anecdotal Architecture

Liz Miller

Medium: Fiber Arts

My recent wall-based fiber works and installation environments explore architecture, boundaries, and borders through the juxtaposition of architectural fragments and fiber-based adornment. Pieces of the built environment, such as components of fences, gutter guards, or metal remnants of domestic interiors (such as stove grates) become armatures for ad-hoc weaving, knotting, and embellishment with rope, cord, and other textile materials. My fascination with rope and knotting started as a byproduct of my large-scale installations, where I utilize rope to achieve tension that gives volume to otherwise flat materials. The varied use of rope and knotting across cultures and history ranges from utilitarian to decorative, and even deadly. I create interdependent knotted topographies that allude to both structure and malleability while also recognizing and elevating aspects of human culture that are neglected, overlooked, or discarded. The repeated act of hand tying integrates an emphatic sense of strength, while the flexibility and nuance of the textile material ensures permutations. The resulting works are only quasi-architectural, providing metaphorical insight laced with humor as related to a variety of structural and systemic behavior.

Anecdotal Architecture Academic Guide