The Apartment
Projects
Joanna Staniszkis.
Saturday, Sept. 12th, 6 to 8pm
Throughout her prolific career Joanna Staniszkis has practiced an experimental approach to fine craft. Inspired by the world’s multiple textile histories and a studied engagement with their techniques Staniszkis spins her multicultural observations in an organically driven sculptural practice.
Joanna Staniszkis’ fine tuned her textile skills with extensive study beginning at the Fine Arts Academy in her homeland Warsaw, Poland, followed by Universidad Catolica, Lima, Peru and important time in the Art Institute of Chicago Interior Design and Textile Design Department with Bauhaus trained Else Regensteiner (1964–1967). She keeps a resource collection of textiles and has traveled extensively to study diverse methods. In 1981 Staniszkis received the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in recognition of contributions she made to the field of textile art.
Staniszkis’ early fascination with fantastical textures built in handspun yarns and dyes has evolved into environments ranging from site specific commissions for major architectural projects to conceptually driven installations incorporating light, plexiglass and live insects. The Apartment has the great pleasure to exhibit an early work, INSECT #3, a large round tapestry from 1973. Woven on it’s frame, hand dyed/spun wool is knotted and unspun, stuffed in pouches and warped to expand beyond the two dimensional plane, growing repetitive symmetries observed from nature.
