'Over and Under' exhibition at the College of Visual Arts

Mary Giles

​When you get down to it, the directions for weaving are rather simple: over and under. But the results can be quite impressive, as demonstrated by local artists Mary Giles, Nancy MacKenzie, and Kelly Marshall.

Each of these artists have become skilled in their weaving techniques, but each is wildly different from the others. In the ongoing exhibition "Over and Under" at the College of Visual Arts, the three get to showcase their best designs.

Pinwheel; Kelly Marshall, 2007

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"I admire the directness and honesty I see in tribal art and I try to incorporate those qualities in my own," says Mary Giles in her artists' statement. Giles constructs baskets and wall-hangings using metals including copper and iron. And her linen work often features an earthen color palette.

MacKenzie scavenges for materials to create her sculptures, which include thin, flexible weeping willow tree branches and waxed linen thread. The thread she hangs off of the interwoven willow branches has a Spanish-moss quality. She has also been known to use wine corks, plastic industrial tubing, and coffee filters to create her art.

Kelly Marshall weaves crisp, clean patterns into her wall hangings. Rectangles of many different colors bump into one another without distorting the clean lines of her bold patterns.

"Over and Under" is on display through June 25 at the college's temporary gallery located in Blair Arcade (165 Western Ave. N., St. Paul).

Kelly Marshall, Fish

Photo by Pete Lee

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