Two More Days

 

I have begun de-listing books that have not sold, and letting the rest run out their auction period.  Not sure what I'll do with those that have not (yet) sold.  I have several options and will need to decide which way I'll go.  Allison's books are generally in good condition, and wide ranging - from this memoir by Jack Lenor Larsen, to history of indigenous people of NA, to technical books like textile science.  Even though some of them are 'old', they still hold good information.

Allison was a home economics teacher and well versed in seeing good information presented and valued the history of textiles, as well.  And I'd really like to see her books go to good new homes.

All of this book re-homing has led me to consider my own library.  And I'm really not ready to get rid of any (more) of my books.  I've downsized my library at least twice over the years as interests changed (or I needed money and selling my books was one way to get some in order to keep the studio functioning).

Yesterday I picked up the biography of Mariette Rousseau-Vermette and have begin reading that.  If you are Canadian (or just interested in modern textile art), this book gives the historical background and, having been given access by M R-Vs family to her studio and records, it looks like a very comprehensive record of the work and times of this not-well-enough known textile artist.

I'm looking forward to learning more.  

If we don't know our history, we don't have a good foundation to move forward from.  

I feel very fortunate in that I met M R-V - briefly - when I was taking a class at the Banff Centre of Fine Arts.  I found her to be sympathetic and compassionate.  I sat in on a critique she gave of the paper making class and fully realized the importance of being able to step out of one's ego and be a critical (in the best way) observer of one's own work.

Even though I wound up not pursuing textile art after my one and only solo exhibit, I never forgot the time I spent taking that class and the time that M R-V spent with us.

The slide isn't great - it deteriorated over the decades, but this was one of the installation pieces in my solo exhibit - Sparkling Water Flows.  Yes, woven in the year after the Banff class.