In 1995 I stumbled upon beadwork after several years of doing surface design and weaving. To my continuing delight, weaving with beads gives me the chance to create a fabric from small units of color which catch the light. The fabric can then be used in an infinite number of ways, as with any cloth. I should also say that I fell in love with the meditative, slowly accumulating quality of the process.
Basically what I do is off-loom bead weaving. I use a very thin needle and strong nylon thread. There are various stitches one can use, but for the past five years I have used the right-angle weave stitch exclusively. It can make a very fluid, tactile cloth of beads - or by building up layers it can form a structure. Its structure easily accommodates armatures as well as embellishment.
From 1995 to 2000 most of my work was jewelry, but I also loved to make small vessels or figures. In 2000 I began a series of beaded collars or neckpieces which referred more directly to textiles. I was then moved to make containers to hold them when they were not being worn. I also make other kinds of containers, exploring what three dimensional forms are possible using the right-angle weave stitch. However, the capacity of this stitch for layers means I can also exploit the layering in a flat piece. For example, this can mean the back and front of a piece can be different. In addition, varying the size of the bead unit can offer more or less of a grid to use in developing an image or text.
Since 2003 this has led me to make containers and wall pieces in which I am attempting to express my ideas within the substantial tradition of using textile art for social comment. Also - as a personal balance to the political statements - I am currently zeroing in on the right-angle weave stitch and its grid. This new work is an exploration of the various meanings to be found in the grid - as a literal basis for the forming of textiles and as a metaphor for certain aspects of life.
Kay Dolezal, October 2007