Gail Rutter
       Fiber Artist

I see and feel movement in the strata-graphic imagery of geologic formations.  The linearity of these features has been a strong influence especially in the designs of my woven works.  I adhere to this imagery because, to me, the structural elements -- of layering, faulting, folding, fracturing, and the flow of banding -- tell stories indicative of human experiences.  Weaving lends itself naturally to these striated designs because it is based upon linear interlacing.

Recent works are drawing more exclusively from inner sensing and internally motivated designs describing how I feel about the movement that is currently occurring in my life -- or life going on around me, in general.  Sometimes the newer designs relate to external imagery (i.e. clouds,) and sometimes, not.

The balance between outer influences and inner concepts is crucial.  I will continue to draw from both external and internal journeys:  backcountry paths that are hiked, and ethereal paths destined to be walked.

"He who walks the land knows the country."

An art object goes beyond its physical properties to express an idea (a concept) that makes a non-tangible comment about something other than the object itself.  The concept should permeate and balance the technical excellence of the work, yet simultaneously transcend the objectivity.