THE THREAD OF NEW MEXICO

Tracing the development of fiber and textile art in New Mexico
produces a rich tapestry.

The New Mexico tapestry is best woven in the words of the artists who give the thread, yarn, natural and processed fiber its life and form . . . sometimes carrying on ancient traditions, sometimes pushing re-interpretations of tradition, sometimes manipulating or incorporating fiber to create a shape or object which is entirely unexpected. The passions and obsessions that seem to grip fiber artists are evident in their work and their words. While it may be a meditative occupation, the energy and grit that exemplifies the fiber artist's dedication is reminiscent of the devotion of nest-building birds.

Nancy Kozikowski
Tapestry artist

There is a word in Navajo for "weaving too much." I believe it refers to forgetting about the world--being obsessed, the way we feel about something new, infatuation, the beginning when everything seems so simple.

As a young woman, I was working on a mandala design in my mother's studio. Her housekeeper came in and asked why I would work on such a tedious project. I thought about the housekeeper and how she had the entire property under control and in order. It was unimaginable to me how she could order and maintain such a large space. I was happy to be able to control a two-foot square piece.

This is when I realized the point and necessity of the spirit line which is traditionally woven into Navajo weavings. The spirit line is a thread that originates in the center and breaks through the border of the weaving so the spirit can escape; it is a bridge into and out of reality . . . or a tether to tie the piece to the world. For me, it is there so my spirit can escape the obsession with the perfection of the piece.

Through the Thread of New Mexico I have attempted to share this rich experience. In 1992, as a fund raiser for Magnifico! Albuquerque's Festival of the Arts, we set up a traditional Spanish, two-harness loom and encouraged people to weave an inch for ten dollars! By weaving a stripe one would learn how a loom works and something about the history of textiles in New Mexico. I based the Thread design on a traditional Rio Grande pattern. Accomplished weavers from diverse backgrounds such as Hopi, Navajo, Spanish, French, Anglo wove their characteristic patterns at intervals in the piece. The stripes in between were woven by 194 people from the community as well as our state's first lady, Alice King, Albuquerque Mayor Louis Saavedra, author Tony Hillerman and then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton.

The finished 18.5 foot long tapestry demonstrated to me the unity and connection of the diverse spirits who caused its creation.

The Thread of New Mexico hangs in the City/County Government Center in downtown Albuquerque.

More on Nancy Kozikowski.