Dates: Dec. 8 – Jan. 18 2017 in the Library
“Basic in construction, yet intricate in output—looms are the apparatus that brings Liv Pedersen’s narratives to life. Since the 1970s, the artist has been creating smallscale weavings using a primitive Dutch plank loom. This loom consists of little more than a wooden plank, nails and cotton string, but with it, Pedersen has weaved whimsical scenes based on her experience and vivid imagination. Scenes of family outings, home life, leisure activities, work, travel, her Danish heritage and even the occasional troll are reoccurring motifs that offer us a glimpse of the artist’s life.
She enrolled at the Alberta College of Design (ACAD) as a mature student and it was in the weaving department where she found her passion, realizing the medium’s potential for image making and storytelling.
If there’s a common thread that runs through the majority of Pedersen’s work, it’s the inclusion of the human
figure. When asked about the importance of the human subject in her work, Pedersen explained: “People and their flaws are interesting and entertaining.” The feelings of joy, trepidation, nostalgia, nervousness and grief that her characters display may be based on her personal experience, but they are universal emotions as well. This universality, perhaps more than anything, is what makes her work so appealing. We find a reflection of ourselves in her story.”
Loom is a touring exhibition developed by the Alberta Society of Artists for the Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Travelling Exhibition Program (TREX). The program is financially supported by the AFA with a mandate to ensure every Albertan is provided with an opportunity to enjoy fully developed exhibitions in schools, libraries, health care centres, and smaller rural institutions and galleries throughout the province.