THE BACK STORY


THE BACK STORY: In January 2016 I launched "Well Used, Well Loved" (WUWL)a long term community art project that explores age, beauty, impermanence and attachment through a hand woven dish towel and reflective writing/drawing. Eight households from England to Oregon "adopted" a hand woven linen towel to use however they wish. Every other week I sent a prompt for reflection to be recorded in a small journal that I provided. The response to my initial call to participate in WUWL was overwhelming. Over 50 households expressed interest in taking part in the project and I only had 8 towels.


So I created a secondary project that dovetailed with the first one. This second group of ultimately 38 households (Maine to Arizona) wrote and drew on kozo paper (a special Japanese paper) to record their response to my prompts. Thru a hands-on workshop at my studio I taught local folks from this group how to spin their kozo paper into thread using a Japanese technique called Shifu. I created a video tutorial for those who wanted to learn to spin their paper from afar.


Prompts to both groups were the same. For example Prompt #6 was: "The materials for this project are hand woven linen and Kozo paper. Both are created from plant fibers, known for their absorption qualities. Absorption can also been seen as dissolving boundaries. In that light what parallels or connection do you observe between your own ability to absorb, to soak up, to empathize? What connections do you perceive between your linen/paper and the action of union, of dissolving boundaries, connection? What value do these actions have today.


In September 2017 I began to collect the 8 towels, the kozo papers and the journals to wrap up the project. The journals, the used/loved towels and the completed four panel piece woven from the community threads combine to create an installation that honors and reflect the spirit of this project.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Well Used, Well Loved

"Well Used, Well Loved"
Eight towels - ready to be used and loved



A community art project that explores age and beauty
 Eight hand-woven linen hand towels will go out to eight households (families or individuals).
Over the duration of nine months each household will be asked to use these towels as they please and to record periodic reflections and observations in a small journal that will be provided.  Each household will be invited to have a "kitchen table conversation" with me at least once during the time period.
 At the end of the nine months, I will collect the used towel, exchanging it for a new towel as a thank you for participating in the project.
 The eight Well Used and Well Loved towels will be the centerpiece for an installation grounded in an exploration of age and beauty.  The journals (and/or text from them) will also be a part of the final installation.
 Each participating household will be asked to sign a participation agreement:  to agree to use the towel, to communicate during the project's 9 months, to write in a journal, to return the towel at the end of 9 nine months
The invitation to participate will go out soon!
Sarah Haskell
December 4, 2015
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2 comments:

  1. Peg CherreDecember 8, 2015 at 12:45 PM

    Sarah - I'd love to participate if you need more people.

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    Replies
    1. Sarah D. HaskellDecember 8, 2015 at 12:54 PM

      Peg - Thank you! I'll be sending out an email soon - about a week I think that will be an invitation to particiapte. I am so pleased that you are interested!. I'll be in touch as soon as I have all the pieces of the project ready to go!

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