Joe Bacon
Bio
<font color="#FFFFFF" size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> My weavings are inspired by ancient textiles that were woven by the Incans, the Mayans, and the Navajos. The designs these people created are stunningly beautiful, and at the same time highly complex and sophisticated. Their compositions were never random, each element being part of an overall scheme that has religious, social, or political significance. My work is done on an 80 year-old Rio Grande Walking Loom of the sort developed by the early Hispanic weavers of northern New Mexico. The wools I use are from local churro sheep, a breed introduced to this area by the Spaniards in the 1500s. All of the yarns I use are spun and dyed by hand and most of the dyes are from vegetal sources such as chamisa, Navajo tea, cottonwood, and cochineal, an insect that grows on the nopal cactus. Maintaining the design traditions, the natural colors, and the weaving techniques of the ancient people is one way of paying tribute to a culture that after thousands of years continues to enrich our lives. 2007 Taos Open Winner Fiber Third Place - "Inka" </font>
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