The Fiber Art of Joan Blade Johnson
Exhibit Reception – Thursday, March 22, 4-5:30pm
Joan Blade Johnson is a Hampton, Connecticut based fiber artist who exhibits nationally and internationally, and teaches a variety of surface design techniques. Her wall art is most often inspired by nature and her original nature photography, which she expresses through textile, thread, and other fibers as well as the incorporation of rogue media for example, wire, metals, and various found objects.
Joan creates her own fabric using non-traditional methods and materials such as commercial or plant based dyes, paints, soy wax, printing, and rusting. Once the fabric and composition is created, she enhances it with machine stitch or other embellishment to create texture and dimension. Joan often frames her smaller pieces for sale. Occasionally her works are stretched over prepared canvas for hanging, but generally, they are hung tapestry-like on walls, allowing viewers to closely examine and appreciate the textural nature of the work.
When not working with fiber, Joan is a Registered Dietitian, and has worked at UConn in both Nutritional Sciences and as Adjunct Clinical Dietetics Faculty in Allied Health. You can find her art and hand dyed silk Eco Print, and “Gem” scarves in a number of local galleries, artisan gift shops, and at the New Britain Museum of American Art Gift Shop. www.jbjfiberart.com
The exhibit runs through May 14. https://lib.uconn.edu/about/exhibits/
For more information, contact: Jean Nelson at jean.nelson@uconn.edu