ARTIST STATEMENT
AFTER A CAREER THAT INCLUDED TAPESTRY WEAVING, INTERIOR DESIGN, AND BEING THE OWNER • DIRECTOR OF A GALLERY, I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO CREATE - SOMETHING LESS HIGHLY PLANNED, MORE ABOUT LETTING THE MATERIALS INSPIRE FRESH NEW DIRECTIONS. I EXPERIMENTED WITH COLLAGE, PUNCHED HOLES, ASYMMETRICAL LINES, EMBELLISHMENTS AND THEN SUDDENLY ONE DAY I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO. IMMEDIATELY I CUT MY PAPER TO SIZE, SPLASHED IT WITH COLOR AND BEGAN DESIGNING.
ALL OF THE NEW SERIES HAVE SIMILAR ELEMENTS AND TECHNIQUES. THE PRINTMAKING PAPER IS SPLASHED, SPRAYED OR ROLLED WITH DYES OR LUMINOUS PAINTS. THE GLASS BEADS ARE DESIGNED ON THE EMBOSSED PAPER IN AN EXPRESSIONISTIC STYLE. THEY ARE SEWN ON INDIVIDUALLY, IN SMALL UNITS, IN MOUNDS, THREADED ON CABLE WIRES AND GLUED ON IN GRIDS. FINISHED IMAGES ARE LAYERED ON SCREEN, FLOATED, FRAMED OR MOUNTED ON PAINTED BOX PANELS.
THESE MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES CONTINUE TO INSPIRE NEW DIRECTIONS AND DESIGNS, EVER MOVING FORWARD, EVOLVING.
BIO
NANCY SHAW CRAMER HAS RETURNED TO HER STUDIO TO DEVELOP A SINGULAR CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION, WORKING WITH NEW MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES, TO CREATE MIXED MEDIA SURFACE DESIGNS. SHE WAS THE OWNER • DIRECTOR OF THE SHAW CRAMER GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY FINE CRAFTS + PAINTINGS ON MARTHA’S VINEYARD FOR TWENTY YEARS, PRECEDED BY A CAREER OF NATIONALLY EXHIBITED TAPESTRIES.
HER HANDWOVEN TAPESTRIES WERE EXHIBITED AT: THE TEXTILE MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON DC; AMERICAN CRAFT MUSEUM, NY; NEWARK MUSEUM, NJ; THE PHILADELPHIA AND BALTIMORE CRAFT SHOWS IN ADDITION TO GALLERIES AND OTHER VENUES. SHE TAUGHT WORKSHOPS AT ARROWMOUNT SCHOOL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS, AND WAS AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT THE AMERICAN CRAFT MUSEUM.
NOW SHE RE-EMERGES WITH COLLECTIONS OF BEADED SURFACE DESIGNS AND MONOTYPE ASSEMBLAGES.
MEMBERSHIPS: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN ARTISTS • MONOTYPE GUILD OF NEW ENGLAND