Posidonia by Amy Putansu

_{Posidonia, 29" x 28", handwoven ondulé in mixed fibers with dyeing and stitching
AMY PUTANSU, waynesville}

When materials are broken down to be transformed 
into something higher, it is known as alchemy.

Maine native Amy Putansu has been working in woven textiles since she graduated from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. “Although I went to RISD to study painting, I was exposed to the textile studio early on and found the medium to be an instant match for me,” she recalls. “I worked in handwoven interiors fabrics, women’s garment design, and handwoven wearables until I became a full-time teacher in 2008.”

Putansu moved to Western North Carolina for a teaching position at Haywood Community College in 2008, but initially came to the area through Penland School of Craft, where she taught for the first time in 2006. “That is when I turned entirely to fine-art fiber, or making larger woven works for the wall for exhibition and gallery representation,” she notes. Putansu’s latest exhibits, crafted from her home studio in Waynesville, utilizes ondulé, or flowing, wavy lines that mimic natural elements.

“Fine weaving and its time-intensive nature provide a medium for exploring endurance and transformation. Elements such as aging, salt, rust, thorns, and transcendence evoke a journey through hardship, where suffering may lead to wisdom or transcendence,” she explains. “A coalescence of these elements has inspired the (ondulé) series that includes Posidonia.” Posidonia is on display at Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville. www.putansutextiles.com