When the knot connects
- Merrill creates intricately knotted and beaded decorative objects
- A strong visual aesthetic derives from her first career in graphic design
- She views the process of making as both meditative and productive
Merrill Morrison’s knotted fibre vessels reflect a creative life lived at the crossroads of handcrafted art and professional design. “I grew up learning how to embroider, sew and knit from the women in my family, while being influenced by my engineer father who used the same design tools I rely on today,” she says. In her early career, Merrill worked as a graphic designer at Vogue, and cites fashion as a great inspiration in her work today. Her practice has evolved over the years, embracing tapestry creation, paper making and selling handmade greeting cards internationally. It led Merrill to basketry. Her striking, colourful and whimsical knotted objects, from teapots and shoes to chairs, allow her to express her love of colour, graphic design and form.
INTERVIEW
I create a hard mould from gessoed Styrofoam. At the bottom of the form, I anchor a thick waxed linen cord with a pin. This is my core thread, around which I begin to knot several coloured threads. I often add beads as I work my way around the shape.
Each design is plotted by hand using triangles, French curves, a T-square and graph paper, and all without a computer. The knotting itself can take hundreds of hours, depending on the complexity of the embellishment and beading. My patience shocks and surprises people!
I see things geometrically. I love angles, colour blocking, bold patterns and strong contrasts, and I often incorporate black and white stripes into my pieces. When looking at my body of work, I see a pattern that is recognisably mine.
I love the process of knotting. The tactile feel of the threads and the rhythm of making knot after knot offers immersion in a peaceful and meditative state. At the same time, I am creating simple, elegant forms in bold and striking colours.
