Amy Putansu
Weaver
Waynesville, NC, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
A lifestyle of woven landscapes
- Amy uses ondulé, a hand weaving technique, to form wave-like patterns and lines
- She is inspired by the rocky, coastal landscapes of her native Maine
- Her work is held in the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery and the National Silk Museum of China
Growing up in a fishing village in Maine, Amy Putansu watched her father knit heads for lobster traps during the off-season. “My early exposure to craft was entirely functional,” she remembers. Years later, as an undergraduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design, Amy was drawn to textiles and the tactile language of weaving. “I have long been interested in the physical process of weaving, the structure of woven threads and the infinite combinations that fibre represent,” she says. In 2008, she became a full-time weaving and dyeing teacher at Haywood Community College in North Carolina. The rich textile traditions of Appalachia and the maritime landscapes from Amy’s youth inspire her large-scale wall pieces, which incorporate disparate materials such as fish leather, linen, kibiso silk and metallic threads.
INTERVIEW
My work stems from a desire to capture moods and sensations from my past, heritage, ancestors and native coastal environment. I am interested in translating these impressions into material form. For me, making is deeply connected to self-inquiry.
I often work from my own photographs of the ocean and shoreline. I am also inspired by the work of Color Field painters such as Mark Rothko. With my textiles, I hope to evoke a similarly transcendent experience of colour heightened by the tactile qualities of fibre.
My mentor, celebrated Cape Cod weaver Randall Darwall, brought me on as a teaching assistant during one of his workshops. His support helped shape my path as an educator and showed me that teaching demands continuous learning. In many ways, it is the best education possible.
I tell my students that making is a lifestyle. My life is centred on creating things, supporting others in the act of making, and guiding them as they develop their own creative vision. It is an incredibly rewarding path, but also a conscious commitment.
Amy Putansu
Weaver
Waynesville, NC, USA
Recommended by Craft in America
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Waynesville, NC, USA
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
English
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