Mexico & Beyond

Janice Kimball, accomplished abstract artist, and Francisco Urzua, master Mexican weaver, are a very unusual team. I have felt privileged to be in their presence photographing while they co-create what could be the beginning of a New Wave in Mexican weaving. The fact that Francisco can turn Janice’s very non-traditional, free-form designs into stunning works of abstract fabric art on ancient looms confounds me. Watching him is akin to hearing a very talented jazz musician transform a traditional melody into something familiar and yet utterly new. They are masters of rhythm, in execution and visual results, collaborating at a level at which they become one creator. 

Video is not my accustomed medium, and the lighting was challenging, but it was necessary in order to capture the simultaneous use of both Francisco’s hands and feet as he transforms the design into a woven work of art. 

         Hand flattening the finished weaving