Dates: November 2016
Art Form & Inspiration
Big skies and long walks are in my blood. I am a tapestry weaver and as an artist, a watcher of things. I watch the goldfinches outside my studio window; I watch the clouds while lying on my back in a mountain meadow; and I watch all the creative people around me interpret their world in their own way.
My chosen art form is an old one. Tapestry has been around for thousands of years in the archaeological record and likely tens of thousands of years in practice.
As a fiber artist, I work with materials that are soft and suggestible. My tapestries are made of wool which I dye (and sometimes spin) myself. Yet, my inspiration comes from the very solid, rocky topography in the southwestern United States whose astounding landscapes continue to delight me.
I am concerned about climate change and how humans will interact with each other on a rapidly changing planet. The body of work I have just begun addresses these intersections of human action on the magnificent planet we inhabit while offering hope in the actions of humans as a species to thrive into the future.
Tapestry is an especially intriguing medium to address these problems both in the slowness of its creation and the length of time it has been practiced. I couldn’t have a better job than being a tapestry artist. My adventures in the outdoors feed my creative fires and I create tapestries inspired by what I find out there. I teach workshops throughout the United States and globally online.
Tapestry has been around a very long time but I think it is still relevant today. Though it is slow, it is important. Making things is important, especially in a society where much of our day flashes across screens.
Biography
Rebecca Mezoff grew up climbing the mesas and red rocks near Gallup, NM. She has won numerous awards for her tapestries which are in various public and private collections.
She studied contemporary tapestry as a student and then apprentice of James Koehler. She teaches workshops throughout the United States and online and currently resides somewhere in the southwest where she doesn’t mind having to dump the sand out of her shoes.