Ornament is the leading magazine celebrating wearable art. Explore jewelry, fashion, beads; contemporary, ancient and ethnographic.
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4 ORNA ENT 35.5 O 45 5 ORNN MENTNT 3 5.201 ORNAMENT 35.5.235 012 012 ROZOME PROCESS showing an organic shape glowing against the black background. Layers upon layers of wax and dyes are used to create this piece. much craft activism as they are personal interests. Going back to her confluence of art and health, she expresses a desire to create textile installations for use in healing centers. "Tactile art reaches us in ways that can't be described. I'd utilize my exploration with color and my understanding of how the human mind reacts to it. A recent exhibit by Motoi Yamamoto, Saltworks: Return to the Sea, featured at the Halsey Gallery at the College of Charleston, inspired me greatly. It helped me see a direction of my own current work in larger scale. "These are some of my goals and visions. They change over time but these have been written for some time now on a list that is very important to me. There are personal goals on this list as well, and the reason they are all listed together is because I consider my textiles a part of my life, a part of who I am. What doesn't change is the most important thread through all of this—creating a sustainable textile business through which I am educating, collaborating and eventually teaching, all while working in the studio on my own textile creations. "Educating the public about textile crafts in the United States is a high level priority of mine," Nguyen explains. "Reflecting about what's going on in the artisan crafted and local foods movements, I believe that understanding what we put on our bodies should be just as important as understanding what we put in our bodies. For instance, where does the fabric come from and what is its content? Whose hands have worked KIMONO WITH 3D SIGNATURE SCARF of silk chiffon; hand-dyed arashi shibori, pieced, stitched, 2011. on it? Who has dyed it and how do they work with dyes? Who has created the garment?" These basic questions are certainly not in most of our minds when purchasing clothes, even though they are perhaps present when buying organic produce. "I really believe small artists, like myself, are invaluable not only to the future of textiles, but to the future of community in this country. I am beginning to see more and more that the 'slow textile' movement is imperative to our society's survival. Fast is not always better. By endeavoring to handmake what we produce as local small business owners, we are able to positively impact our communities in sincere and personal ways. People connect with one another in a more meaningful way, are more present with each other, and inevitably this leads to a deeper sense of respect and appreciation." Each artisan, thus embedded in the local community, takes root and grows vital, acting just as plants do to prevent erosion. For what is implicitly expressed in Nguyen's call is the obvious; buying local keeps money in America. But that pragmatic reason is only part of the larger picture, one in which Nguyen is working to find her place within, as a contributing member to and creator of beauty for a healthier, humane and more balanced economy. For more images, as well as the full interview with Amy Nguyen, visit Web Exclusives at ornamentmagazine.com