Jocelynn Brown: Handmade

This artist will tie you in knots

This is what might be called a "Rags to Richie" story, if you will, about a local artist who uses torn strips of fabric to create unconventional sculptures.

Richie Campbell is her name, but she hopes to some day be known in the art world by her first name only. You may have seen her crafting her work to pass away the time while sitting and waiting for a bus in Metro Detroit, or it's possible you've seen her sculptures in a local gallery.

On creating art works in public, Campbell says, "I've had people stop and ask me what I'm doing." For the past two years, what she's been "doing" is making colorful soft-sculptures using long strips of fabric that she knots over and over until the knots twist together. It's not as simple as it sounds. "It has to have a certain firmness, deliberateness and tautness to the knot, otherwise the twisting won't occur," Campbell explains.

Some of her knotted sculptures are linear and are made to hang either in a window or from a ceiling. They represent her "Rain Series." For larger sculptures, like the one seen here, the Detroiter uses her knotted "ropes" to wrap around the frame of a chair, giving it a soft-sculpture appeal with added dimension.

"I use any kind of fabric, from terrycloth to silk. I like all of them because they all do something different," says the textile artist who's had most of her material given to her. In fact, that's how she got started sculpting with knotted fabric. A friend who's a quilter boxed up her old fabric and gave it to her. She cut some into long strips, and one thing led to "a-knot-her."

Her u sculptures, priced from $75 to $700 and sold under the name Why Knot, have been featured at ArtRages Gallery, the Scarab Club, the Hannan House, Detroit Artists Market, Swords into Plowshares Peace Center & Gallery and the Grosse Pointe Artists Association.

Knotted fabric chair

Estimated time: Depends on size of chair

Level: Intermediate

Tools: Scissors, screwdriver, wire cutters

Supplies: A straight-back chair, any type of print and/or solid fabrics (enough to cover chair entirely after being knotted), fine-gauge wire

1. Tear or cut fabric into long strips. (The width depends on thickness of fabric and desired size of knots.)

2. Create knotted "cords" by knotting all strips of fabric with an overhand knot, folding edges in toward center. Make knots close together, so no space is left in between. Be sure to pull each knot as tightly as possible.

3. Now use screwdriver to remove seat and back of chair, exposing its frame.

4. Cut a small piece of wire to anchor one end of a knotted cord to chair frame. Begin wrapping cord around, completely covering each area as you work.

5. Continue wrapping process to cover entire frame. Join additional cords as needed, using wire to connect ends. Note: Do not leave any wire showing.

6. Once chair is completely covered, use a piece of wire to connect end of last cord to frame.

Contact: Why Knot at (313) 895-0108 or

richiecampbell@hotmail.com

Detroit News staffer Jocelynn Brown is a longtime Metro Detroit crafter who knits, crochets, beads and makes soft-sculpture dolls. You can reach her at (313) 222-2150, jbrown@detnews.com or visit her blog at detnews.com/craftblog.