Heart Strings
Mary Edna's Batiks on Silks at Heart Strings February 14th at 4 pm


Kimono Silk Show
Text from Flyer:

Mary Edna Fraser has flown and photographed the eastern seaboard of America and many foreign coastlines. Her art is grounded in aerial and satellite photography, maps and charts, but she often draws from her visual memory. Inspired by traditional Japanese wood block prints, her work is a modern depiction of the floating world. The slowness of batik, an ancient resist dye medium, allows for meditation. Fraser considers her art to be prayer flags for the environment and people she loves.

Charleston audiences are familiar with her aerial perspective by the large-scale sculpture at the Airport and the silk map at the Visitor’s Center. Fraser’s earliest exhibits in New York and Boston featured kimonos. While teaching in Australia, Fraser discovered narrow vintage kimono silk, just waiting to be dyed.

Collected and exhibited worldwide, Fraser is a contemporary master. Peabody Essex Museum, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Academy of Sciences, NASA, and Duke University Museum of Art have featured her art, among many others.

Meet the Artist 6 - 10 PM

Thursday, December 10, 2009
214 King Street Gallery
Charleston, SC 29401

Open through January 24, 2010
9-5 Monday through Saturday, 12-5 Sunday


Powerhouse Museum Lecture
Mary Edna Fraser lecture in Sydney, Australia.

Text from Flyer:

Mary Edna Fraser is a renowned American Artist specialising in the production of large-scale batiks on silk, many based on aerial photographs. Her last adventure in Australia had her flying over the Murray River, the Great Ocean Road, and Tasmania as well as swimming underwater in the Great Barrier Reef. She has also worked with geologist Dr. Orrin Pilkey on a forthcoming book on global warming. Hear about their collaboration, a long distance journey from pole to pole visualising climate change.

Support the Coastal Conservation League

"Rising Tide" batik on silk 104" x 45.5"

Polar Attractions at the Peabody Essex Museum

Iceberg and Kilimanjaro, two batiks by Mary Edna Fraser, are exhibited in this event. June 28, 2008, through June 7, 2009 Salem, Mass. — The Peabody Essex Museum invites you to discover our planet’s polar regions in Polar Attractions, a new exhibition at the museum’s Art & Nature Center. As magnificent as they are vulnerable, the Arctic and Antarctic inspire contemporary artists to capture the expansive panoramas, sculptural ice formations and resilient life thriving at the ends of the earth. Polar Attractions explores creative responses to the polar environment and the science of climate change through 47 works of contemporary art and interactive stations. “This exhibition encourages families to experience the polar regions through artwork and activities that demonstrate how nature and human influences have shaped these distinct, biologically important ecosystems over time,” said Jane Winchell, The Sarah Fraser Robbins Director of the Art & Nature Center and PEM curator of natural history. “Visitors will be surprised by the range of color, scale and texture in the show. We hope they will think of this exhibition as an opportunity to see parts of the world most of us will never have a chance to visit.” Works conveying the unique viewpoints of more than 30 North American artists — including Native Alaskans and Canadian Inuit — are presented in four interconnected thematic sections: Ice, Landscape, Wildlife, and Human Interaction.

Ice. Whether glacial or sea-bound, ice sustains life and regulates the circulation of our oceans. Artists employ sound and video, brushed metal sculptures and paintings made with polar ice to capture the powerful presence of ice in the polar world. Mary Edna Fraser’s Iceberg (above) is one example. Visitors can interact with an iceberg installation and discover its secrets for themselves.

Landscape. Scale-model polar landscapes viewed through periscopes accompany large- and small-format photographs capturing grand polar vistas and delicate flora. More than just ice and rock, these harsh regions display unexpected color and vibrancy.
Wildlife. Although the habitats may seem austere and punishing, the polar regions are home to many creatures that have thrived there for millennia. As ecosystems change, animals are severely tested. Encounter polar wildlife through sculptures you can touch, origami, contemporary paintings and birds from PEM’s own historic collection. Visitors can team up to play the Arctic Tern Challenge, guiding a migrating tern on its perilous journey from one pole to another.

Human Interaction. From the interconnectedness of native cultures, to the impact of natural resource extraction and global warming, human interaction with the Arctic and Antarctic regions is a multihued tapestry of dark and light influences. In this section, sculpture, basketry, photography, drawings and video installations all address how human beings affect environmental changes. Visitors can build their own three-dimensional mixed-media constructions and capture digital images to be posted on a museum Web site for others to view and consider. Other media stations encourage deeper exploration of the themes and art featured in the exhibition through interactive computer stations, video footage and musical compositions.

Polar Attractions is supported in part by New Trade Winds/ECHO. PEM’s Art & Nature Center is a dynamic exhibition space featuring self-guided and facilitated experiences for families, adults and children. This innovative, 2,500-square-foot area integrates original works of art and natural history objects with interactive displays to highlight vital connections between art and nature and to provide a thought-provoking segue to and from the museum’s art galleries. Activity stations, multimedia elements and a range of programs offer visitors a variety of entry points for investigating the artwork and themes presented. The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The Museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 24 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States. HOURS Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ADMISSION Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $4. Members, youth 16 and under, and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang.

St. Olaf College - Manitou Messenger Review

Manitou Messenger The Student Weekly of St. Olaf College Batiks Illustrate Climate Change By Margaret Wade Arts Editor Friday, March 21, 2008 The current Flatten Art Museum exhibit, "Expanding Oceans," reveals an innovative collaboration between textile artist Mary Edna Fraser and scientist Orrin Pilkey that explores global climate change through a collection of batiks on silk. As a science-phobe, I was a little wary when I arrived at the gallery, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the splash of vibrant colors that filled the room. Through Fraser's batiks and Pilkey's messages, this project opens up dialogue and conveys new perspectives beyond the scope of the human eye and the best cameras available. Everyone is "going green" these days, using trite messages to profess both sincere and not-so-sincere environmental concerns. In this age of environmentally-friendly campaigns, there's a new friend in town. Each work includes a brief description by Pilkey and Fraser. I appreciated the dual perspective as I viewed each piece. In "Boston, Massachusetts" (2007), muted greens, oranges and browns compose the fluid harbor, and geometric cobalt shapes emerge at the horizon to show the Boston cityscape. Fraser comments, "Each city has a dynamic skyline as well as shoreline." Inspired by a photograph taken 200 miles from Earth by astronaut Jay Apt, Fraser created "Pacific Full Moon" (1999), which depicts a full moon framed by black space in the upper third, and a swirling purple, blue and white sea below. Pilkey explains that the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean because tectonic plates between the Americas and Asia are still moving. In "Mt. McKinley, Alaska" (1993), Fraser uses a palette of soft creamsicle streaks with purple shadows to capture ice. "Our lives often have deep crevices as we struggle to maintain equilibrium," Fraser comments. Fraser modeled "Monterey Canyon, California" after an aerial photograph taken 500 miles above an undersea canyon. This batik is a large-scale silk prayer flag for her stepson who has Cystic Fibrosis. "You cannot see his disease as you cannot view the canyon easily," she comments. This exhibit never spews facts or guilts the viewer, but instead Fraser and Pilkey share their perspectives through the world we cannot easily see. "Katrina" looks down on the earth from space on August 29, 2005, capturing an ominous swirl of white. Layers of dye create depth in this piece, and the whiteness of the hurricane contrasts sharply with the deep blue and green tones of the planet. "Slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii" (1994) caught my eye immediately--this batik reminded me of a lush tropical flower, flowing from the ceiling like a hibiscus flower climbing a trellis. Pilkey comments that Mauna Loa is the largest volcano in the world and also the site of key carbon dioxide measurements indirectly indicating the presence of global warming. There's a profound sense of wonder and beauty in "Expanding Oceans" abstractions. The pieces drew me in from a distance with their aesthetic presence, but the messages by each work made me stop and reflect on the danger of rising oceans. The exhibit includes a video in fast motion of Fraser in the studio that allows the viewer to see the color emerge as she crawls under long panels of silk to evaluate a work and paints with meticulous strokes. "Expanding Oceans" uses art to share scientific information, thus educating and inspiring people through an accessible, visually rich medium. In this marriage of art and science, Fraser and Pilkey engage viewers with both emotion and fact. The National Science Foundation, National Academy of Science, Duke Museum of Art and Emory University have featured Fraser and Pilkey's work. Fraser rejuvenates the ancient medium of batik with modern dye technology, satellite imagery and aerial photography. She was the first woman to be honored with a one-person exhibition in 1994-95 at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Fraser's work has been exhibited and collected around the world, including public commissions for the American Embassy in Thailand and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Pilkey is James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Geology and Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) within the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University. The "Expanding Oceans" exhibit reveals the work of his current book, tentatively titled, "The Expanding Ocean: A Creeping Nuisance or a Global Disaster." He has written "The Beaches are Moving: The Drowning of American's Shoreline," "Living by the Rules of the Sea" and "Useless Arithmetic." Dr. Pilkey has coauthored or edited 36 books, and he writes for publications such as the New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Oceans Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education and National Geographic. "The sea level's rise is widely recognized and accepted by the public as fact," Pilkey writes in the introduction. "It is an intriguing subject to most people but there are many nooks and crannies of this phenomena that have not been exposed to public view." "Expanding Oceans" and joint exhibit "Celebrating the World's Barrier Islands" at Gould Library, Carleton College will run through April 13. Pilkey and Fraser have a series of events planned in order to engage the Northfield community and to open up dialogue on the issue of climate change. Pilkey and Fraser will give a public talk, "A Science and Art Collaboration," on Monday, March 31 at 7 p.m. in Dittmann Center 305. They will lead a round table discussion to discuss "Celebrating the World's Barrier Islands" project and book on Tuesday, April 1 at 4 p.m. in Gould Library Athenaeum at Carleton College. Pilkey and Fraser will join a panel of professors -- Luce professor of Asian art history and Asian studies Karil Kucera; professor of art history Christine O'Malley; professor of physics Robert Jacobel, Grace A. Whittier Endowed Chair; and professor of biology and environmental studies John Schade -- for a public discussion, "What is it about Expanding Oceans?" on Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in Dittmann 305. To conclude the series, Pilkey will give a public talk, "Global Warming and Coastal Ecosystems," on Thursday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Boliou Hall 104 at Carleton College.

Expanding Oceans

East Carolina University Alumni Cover

East Magazine: An Eye For Art - How East Carolina's long love for fine arts molds creative minds


Eva Carter Gallery
132 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401
www.evacartergallery.com
Monday - Saturday 10-5 pm
843 722 0506

Inconvenient Truth

Silk Perspective

Our Earth and Beyond

THE EASTERN SHORE

VIDEO OF THE EASTERN SHORE (music by The Album Leaf)

VIDEO OF THE EASTERN SHORE (music by The Album Leaf)

INSTALLATION

Stephenson Research and Technology Center
University of Oklahoma
March - April 9, 2006

Deltas, Barrier Islands and Beyond

Mary Edna Fraser

Mary Edna Fraser is an internationally renowned textile artist who collaborates with scientists from a variety of disciplines to illustrate the changing environment. Ms. Fraser’s work is from both an aerial and an outer space perspective, a view that she transcribes onto silk, using dyes in the ancient medium of batik. The art comprises a series of narrative landscapes inspired by the terraqueous reaches of the continents and beyond -- where separate realms of earth, sea and sky converge.

In collaboration with scientists, Fraser carefully researches her landscapes by hiking the terrain, exploring the waterways by boat, and painting watercolor studies on location. Books and charts are studied to identify features of visual interest. Photographing from the open *bleep*pit of her grandfather’s 1946 Ercoupe plane, Ms. Fraser explores the natural wonders of our planet, sometimes unaltered, yet often altered, by humankind. During such “reconnaissance” flights as many as five hundred images will be photographed which will then be reduced to the best twenty possible designs. She also uses satellite images and maps to plan expansive compositions. An organization of the land emerges revealed only by altitude. Ms. Fraser then commits this vision to giant silk “canvases” through the resist process of batik.

Ms. Fraser’s work has been recognized throughout the world. In 1994-95, she was the first woman to be honored with a one-person textile exhibition at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Fraser has completed numerous public commissions, including batiks for the American Embassy in Thailand and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Her work also has been featured by National Geographic, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal and Smithsonian Magazine. Her work with renowned geologist Orrin Pilkey culminated in A Celebration of the World’s Barrier Islands (Columbia University Press, 2003), hailed as “an exquisite marriage of expertise and aesthetics.”


Orrin Pilkey and Ted Maxwell

Orrin Pilkey is James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Geology and Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines (PSDS) within the Division of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke University. Dr. Pilkey's expertise lies in basic and applied coastal geology, focusing primarily on barrier island coasts.

The recipient of numerous honors, including the Francis Shepard Award for excellence in marine geology and the George V. Cohee Public Service Award of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Dr. Pilkey became an honorary member of the Society for the Study of Sediments (SEPM) in 1992. He held the office of president of that organization and of the North Carolina Academy of Science. Dr. Pilkey is author of The Beaches are Moving: The Drowning of America’s Shoreline, Living by the Rules of the Sea, and most recently with Ms. Fraser A Celebration of the World’s Barrier Islands. He has also served as editor of the Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. Dr. Pilkey’s work has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Oceans Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and National Geographic.

Ted Maxwell is Associate Director for the Department of Collections and Research at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. He has done research on planetary surfaces and processes since the Mariner 9 encounter with Mars in 1973, analyzing data from the Apollo space missions through the Mars Global Surveyor Mission. His terrestrial research concentrates on the use of remote sensing data to study environmental change in desert regions, particularly Egypt and the Sudan.

In 2004, Dr. Maxwell provided the text for From Outer Banks to Outer Space: Silk Batiks by Mary Edna Fraser, exhibited in the Mathematics and Science Center Atrium at Emory University. His scientific knowledge of planetary geology and the cosmos is essential to Deltas, Barrier Islands and Beyond.



The Batik Technique


Batik is an ancient method of dyeing textiles. It is a process in which removable wax is applied to fabric, creating areas that will resist dye, while unwaxed areas absorb the colors. Though its origins are unknown, evidence of its early practice has been found in the Far East, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, and India. The word Batik originates from the islands of Java in Indonesia, where the art form still flourishes.

Ms. Fraser outlines the design in wax using a copper instrument called a tjanting. She then brushes in the outlined area with melted beeswax and paraffin. Great care must be taken, since there is no simple way to erase an unwanted drop of wax or dye. Ms. Fraser uses fiber-reactive Proceon dyes that react chemically with the silk to become part of the cloth. The dyes come in powder form and are mixed in exact proportions with water, urea, Calgon, baking soda, and washing soda. Any mistake in chemistry will cause the dyes to bleed, ruining the batik.

Testing on paper towels and scraps of fabric, Ms. Fraser spends several hours working out a satisfactory color harmony, often comparing her dyes to colors in nature. Then the liquid dye is applied to the fabric with a brush or a sponge. The waxed areas resist dye applied to the fabric. She will often apply two or more colors adjacent to each other and blend them to create a subtle color transition. Fraser usually applies three to five layers of wax and dye to create a design.

Finally, heat is used to remove the wax and set the dyes. The batik is sandwiched between two layers of white paper and placed on a pad of newspaper. The paper is ironed to melt the wax, which soaks into the paper. When no more wax is absorbed by the paper, the batiks are ironed once more to heat-set the dyes. The batik is then dry-cleaned to remove any remaining wax, and washed in a chemical detergent to remove excess dye and pencil lines. It takes approximately one month to complete each large-scale batik.

Islands From The Sky


batiks on silk by Mary Edna Fraser
science by Orrin Pilkey

September 14th - November 10, 2006

Barrier Island Center

Opening 6:30 pm September 14th Thursday
7295 Young Street
Machipongo, Virginia 20165

followed by

A Celebration of The World’s Barrier Islands

Lecture and Book signing 7:30 pm
at Northampton Middle School
7247 Young Street Machipongo

rsvp 757 678 5550
toll free 888 678 5572
www.barrierislandscenter.com

Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center

Wednesday, June 8, 2005
PEM offers world views through batik and modern dance

In conjunction with the World Batik Conference in Boston

Flying North (detail), 2004, © Mary Edna Fraser

DANCE PERFORMANCE
Prayers for the Planet
7:30 pm performance 8 pm presentations, demonstrations, and discussions Reservations by June 6 Members $23, nonmembers $28 Morse Auditorium Explore humankind's place on the planet through this world premiere performance by the international Nicola Hawkins Dance Company. Prayers for the Planet radiates from an aerial view of the planet, imploring a new view of earth while providing a rewarding sanctuary for the soul. Set design by batik artist Mary Edna Fraser. Dinosaur Annex Music Ensemble performs original music composed by Evan Ziporyn. The Atrium Café will remain open until 7:30 pm with light refreshments available for purchase. Reduced pricing is available for both events: Members $25, nonmembers $33 (limited number of student tickets available at $20 with valid, current student ID). These programs made possible in part by the Northeast Global Education Center at Salem State College and the Lyceum Lecture Fund.

ARCHIVES

2004

2003

MUSIC