Local Art Seen: count map pulse breathe --- Kathy McTavish at the JNG

"Code is a literature ::: a pattern language ::: a score. It is a choreography ::: a performance. A code renderer is the weaver ::: the mill ::: the alchemist ::: the wizard. Code is a spell ::: an incantation ::: an intent. When code is performed it is an activation of text ::: a linguistic gymnastics." 
--Kathy McTavish, Chance (2017)


The latest iteration of Kathy McTavish's computer code-generated art is now on display at Joseph Nease Gallery in Duluth. As her work evolves we see a transformation taking place, building on previous experience and adding new dimensions.

Computer code is the basic language of her art. Previously the "product" was displayed on monitors and projected on surfaces. More recently she has been utilizing her sister Karen McTavish's high-tech quilting machinery to produce what she calls "soft code drawings."

Sixteen textile works have been hung in the gallery. The threadwork on the quilted textiles is generated by computer code that McTavish has conceived. The machine responds to the code to create thread patterns.

Seemingly random irregular features have been added to this series of textiles, which I personally feel adds interest to the pieces. I find myself looking for more stories within the imagery and asking questions, which amplifies my desire to engage each piece.

In addition to the textiles, the exhibit space includes 16 Acer computers which were used to create the digital imagery - either on their screens, on the textile pieces, or in the form of a set of unique artists books.

Joseph Nease Gallery -- Spacious 

Gallery owner Joe Nease told me, with an amused expression, that the 16 computers are workers. Or rather, 15 are workers and, pointing to one set around the corner on a desk, "This one is the supervisor." He showed me one other computer in the hallway and said that that "worker" was on a smoking break.

This new body of work is an extension of concepts that McTavish has been crafting and fine tuning for several years now. It's conceptually stimulating and it will be interesting to see where it all leads in the years ahead.

Joe Nease, showing the scale of each piece.

Related Links
Kathy McTavish's Chance Unfolds at the Tweed
Local Art Seen: Kathy McTavish's Generative Textile Drawings @ the Joseph Nease Gallery
Kathy McTavish . count map pulse breathe