weavershand

Gallery 7 - Erroll Pires Nelson

"The Simple Reappears after the Complex Has Been Exhausted" (a Zen saying -- my favourite)

My interest in the area of Textile Art started about three decades ago, when I joined the National Institute of Design (NID) as a student in 1970. The resource centre provided me my first introduction to the work of Fibre Artists from other countries. I was educated as a designer for industry and after graduation in 1975, I worked for nine yers in the textiles and leather industry returning to NID in 1984 as a faculty member. My research into the techniques of Ply-Split Braiding, which started around 1985, awoke a creative spirit of experimentation using this technique and has resulted in "some" pieces that might qualify as Art textiles. I am currently working on a series of seamless garments.

The dresses are seamless and tube-like, but the innovation is that the shoulder straps are part of the garment, no seams! This came as progression of experiments and self imposed challenges; when the breakthrough happened it was indeed a joyous moment!!

The structure is an innovation based on years of studying camel belts. I showed my four new structures to Peter Collingwood when he visited Ahmedabad in 1999. When I asked him to help me define them he amusingly said that I should name them after myself. I thought that was too self centered..so at the moment I am calling them "camel san" 1,2,3,4. Since the camel girths have fascinated me for years and have turned into a lifelong obsession, I thought that I should pay homage to the camel, also I find it a fascinating animal so calling my innovation Camelsan seemed just right. "San" incidently means Sir in the Japanese language.

While the debate whether my pieces are Craft, Art, or Design continues, I do hope you enjoy "seeing" the expression. The message within the interlacing of the cords and the way of making cords move is my expression.

I am available for teaching and discussion, your comments are welcome. I can be reached at NID or at home