| Who Made That: Freidel and the Otonabee Tapestry meets Facebook. | | Print | |
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Using facebook as a research tool many seem a rather silly thing to do when trying to find information about an artist who was not particularly renown out side of her local community of Peterborough Ontario and who had died near the end of the last century Finding Freidel became important for this issue of fibreQUARTERLY for a few reasons. Her Otonabee Tapestry is contemporary to the 1973-75 Textiles into 3D exhibition which is the core of this issue on Tapestry in Canada. Her work is an example of the work being produce by the likes of Magdalena Abakanowicz, a leader in the Fibre Revolution of the late 1960s and 1970s (see Jane Kidd's " Materiality and Tapestry" for more information) It is also her drift into obscurity like that of many of the Textile and fibre artist whose work has graced the cooperate and Public lobbies, embassies and places of worship from the 1950 through until 1980 and then like so many interior design fads ended. As new public art trends came to the fore, this work and these artist have faded from both the public eye and fallen into the cracks of Art and the emerging Craft History. This the moment in time to revisit their work, find the archives and encourage the research that is needed to closes the cap in current history of Contemporary Tapestry which for all intent and purpuses ends with the emergence of the artist weaver and the decline of the Tapistery Studio Factory and cooperate patronage that brought it through the post war preiod 1945-1980. So I thought why not use my facebook network to see what i could get to happen. I posted the following "note" on June 27th Finding Freidel Some where, in the collective memory, of the larger Peterborough Ontario Community is knowledge unrecognised and hardly used, its time to put it to work. You go for a walk along the “Pathway of Fame” in Del Carry Park and look down and see the name “FREIDEL WASHCHUK” and blink, go blank and think “Who is that?” Better known by her first name only Freidel was a tapestry weaver whose best work is representative of the group of tradition breaking weavers who in the seventies were exploring the materials used for and the concept of weaving rather then image. By combining raw unprocessed fibre, naturally dyed processed yarns along with synthetic yarns, acetate, raw and coated wire opened the tapestry to a new discourse anchored in a fine art, rather the decorative arts critic. Or you have been sitting in the Wenjack on campus and instead of listening to your lecture you eyes are wondering and you are looking at the strange dusty mass of shaggy colourful wool stuck on the wall looking vaguely like something familiar, you sneeze and shake your head nudge the person beside you and whisper “what the hell is that piece of crap supposed to be?” what it is, is a tapestry by Freidel called “The Otonabee River” woven in 1974-1975 during an Artist in Residence stay at Trent. According to the Trent University Art Collection brochure “Freidel Washchuk was Artist-in-Residence at Otonabee College in 1974-1975. During that period she wove and donated a tapestry representing the Otonabee River to Trent. Students participated in the weaving process under the artist's supervision. After studying weaving and spinning at the Textilfaschschule, Moenchberg, Germany, Friedel came to Canada in 1954. She exhibited her work throughout the country and developed strong links with the Peterborough community, where she taught weaving techniques.” In the 1992 Freidel’s works for the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Immaculate Conception on 386 Rogers Street in Peterborough, and “Resurrection” for Donwood United Church on Parkhill near where it meets Television Rd where featured in “Art of the Spirit: Contemporary Canadian Fabric Art”. This book by Helen Bradfield, Joan Pringle, and Judy Ridout was published by Toronto & Oxford: Dundurn Press and was the result of these three organizing an exhibition of textiles in “Contemporary Liturgical Art in Fabric” 1989 to be part of a Liturgical Arts Festival. “FREIDEL WASHCHUK: Through her weaving, she has been able to meld the beauty of the Kawarthas and elements of Canadian heritage into stunning works of art. “ unkown quote. Freidel was born in Regensburg West Germany, where she received raining in spinning and weaving at the Textilfachschule at Moenchbrug. She moved to Canada in 1954 and lived in Peterborough from 1970 until her passing After moving to Canada pursed further training in weaving at Central Technical School in Toronto, at the Haliburtiburton School of fine arts, Haliburton as well as return trips for study in Munich and Sindelfingen, (west) Germany. Freidel taught in Peterborough and in Nantucket, She exhibited extensively in group and solo exhibitions, including a 1991 show in Regensbrug (her home town) and Munich. Her tapestries have been commissioned in Montreal, Peterborough and Toronto. Her work is represented in Private collections in Canada, USA, Austria, Ireland, Holland, Sweden, (West) Germany and Columbia. For me this is where the on- line accessible information ends, I want to know more. While I lived in Peterborough I saw some of her work, had uninformed conversations about her. She was of a different generation and her work seemed dated and eccentric (the fibre movement, hippy dippy, back to the earth, vegetarian, things easily ridiculed by an arrogant know it all from Toronto in my early twenties) but it left an impression and an interest that grows. When I went to the Crafting New Traditions: Innovators + Influences Symposium (February 22 – 23 2008), I was already going to be asking people if the knew anything about Quebec based artist Nancy Herbert (see “It Started with a Question” fQ Volume 4 Issue 4 /). I asked a few people about Freidel. Dorothy Caldwell in particular because of our Peterborough connections, interestingly the only conclusion we came to was “why don’t we know more about her?’ We both know a great deal about American ex-patriot painter David Burke who was one of the founders of Artspace Gallery because we were both connected to Artspace for a time and he was very skilled spin doctor, a male artist and a painter, things Freidel was not. Was it because she worked in fibre, is it because she is a woman artist in quasi rural Ontario, many question may suggest many reasons for the lack of public knowledge about this artist. I am here to suggest that by using this “Social network” tool, facebook a profile of Freidel can be compiled. Want to help? Anybody want to check out the vertical files at the Peterborough Library or the Bata Library at Trent? is weaving still taught at the Textilfachschule in Mönchbrug She has been the subject of many reviews, as well as radio and Television interviews and a video. Reponses from facebook July 13, 2009 Jo Ellen Brydon at 5:12pm June 28 Joe have you checked the Peterborough City archives or the Trent U archives? Does Illi know anything about her?
Joe Lewis at 6:32pm June 28 is Illi still in Peterborough? I thought she had gone Ottawa after the AGP? and no i haven't really had time to get up to Peterborough and I wouldn't be able to get access to the Trent Archives, not being a Student or Grad Student.
Jo Ellen Brydon at 9:55am June 29 Yes she is still here. And yes any researcher can get access to both archives. When I get a chance I'll check it out for you. Give me a couple of weeks.
Pegi Eyers at 2:19pm June 30 I have found out that an extensive tapestry piece by Freidel hangs (or was hanging) in the round room that was called "The Gathering Space" in Otonabee College at Trent U. I say "was hanging" because the Native Studies department moved recently and the tapestry may have been moved as well (or not). Pegi Eyers at 2:22pm June 30 Also, there is a biography of Friedel in the compilation called "Portraits: Peterborough Women Past and Present" edited by Gail Corbett, published by The Portraits Group, 1975. The bio was written by Dorothy Cox and covers her bio plus mentions of her work that was contemporary at the time. "Twilight of the Gods" and "Man and Superman" were award-winning pieces she created in Germany. I don't have a copy of "Portraits" - hopefully the local libraries will. Jo Ellen maybe your mom has one? I have a phone number for Dorothy Cox if anyone wants to contact her. Joe Lewis at 7:37pm June 30 thanks Jo-Ellen and Pegi all I can say is now we are cooking. I had been working on this about two months ago an my computer crashed while i was making notes about her, and $135.60 later i got every thing back except that file. Mary Pace has me looking for a weaver name Regina Kmop (sp) who lived in Flemming place in the late 70ties and work with Freidel, keep gathering and posting please and anybody else who tracks something down. Ray Dart at 10:54am July 2 Wonderful work. This is really interesting stuff. I hope we find a way to do something with that at Trent. At present, Jodi Aoki and Julia Harrison are the people in charge of the campus arts collection, but maybe the colleges would be good places to get in touch with as well? Michael Martyn at 11:09am July 3 Illi still lives on King Street. Bea Quarrie might be another good one to hit up for information. So I think contact with Jodi Aoki and Julia Harrison might be of use if only to see what Trent has on file about Freidel. Googling Dorothy Cox brought no results so a phone to see if she is the same author might be in order. July 13, 2009 I just wrote Bea Quarrie. Hey Joe - Partial listing of Publications featuring Friedel “Art of the Spirit: Contemporary Canadian Fabric Art”. This book by Helen Bradfield, Joan Pringle, and Judy Ridout was published by Toronto & Oxford: Dundurn Press, 1992 "Portraits: Peterborough Women Past and Present" edited by Gail Corbett, published by The Portraits Group, 1975, Freidel profile by Dorothy Cox |
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