Really 2021? I mean REALLY? You were supposed to be better than your predecessor. So far, you have not and frankly, we all need a break from the madness. Marianne Fairbanks is an assistant professor in the Design Studies department at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and she may be able to help you find a bit of Zen. Fairbanks focuses on textiles and investigates the connection between pliable fabrics and architectural structure as a way to solve big picture challenges like harnessing solar power.
But wait…how is this going to keep you from pulling your hair out?! Well. Fairbanks is also the creator of the Hello Loom. It’s a laser-cut loom about the size of a cell phone. It’s portable and invites you to stop scrolling and start weaving.
In this edition of Radio Chipstone, Fairbanks tells contributor gianofer fields that she finds peace in the repetitive aspect of weaving and the Hello Loom is her way of sharing a little bit of portable Zen.
About the Host:
gianofer (JON nah fer) fields is an Art Historian and Material Culture contributor and curates the Radio Chipstone series. The project is hosted by the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and funded by the Chipstone Foundation; a decorative arts foundation whose mission is preserving and interpreting their collection, as well as stimulating research and education in decorative arts.
About the Guest:
Marianne Fairbanks is an assistant professor in the Design Studies department at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is also the founder and creator of the Weaving Lab and Hello Loom. She also co-curated the exhibition Woven Together: Hello Loom at Copenhagen Contemporary, in which professional weavers contributed pieces using the hand-held looms.
Image: courtesy of Hello Loom.
