KARI STEIHAUG

Description

In Kari Steihaug’s art, what is overseen plays a major role. The things that have been set aside, unfinished projects, objects that are worn or frayed are all solicitously brought into the light. This is also evident in the materials used by the textile artist: Steihaug’s works feature worn out woollen garments as well as unfinished knitwear. By embracing imperfection, her creations become a counterbalance to the galloping consumer culture of our time, allowing us to see with fresh eyes what surrounds us in everyday life.

This book brings together 25 years of her work. Contributions in poetry and prose introduce Steihaug’s work and trace the lines of a diverse and rich practice.

„A thread needs fastening, a starting point and an end point, whether one is talking about sewing, knitting, crocheting or weaving, and isn’t this what Steihaug leads us to the beginning and the end, what she wants to remind us of, that all creation, all matter, also forms a conceivable part of something else, that it can take a different path, that we can take a different path, away from it, towards it, that this is always present as a possibility, or threat, to shift direction, change course. And it’s as if these threads that are unravelled become a kind of transcription, but if so, then they are transcribed into something that preceded language, something rhythmic, repetitive and meditative.” (Monica Aasprong).

„Nina M. Schjønsby’s thorough and exemplary editing and Rune Døli’s well- considered, varied and neat design and wise choices regarding paper quality, typographic elements and fine reproductions, make the book a pleasure to behold, both for the eye and the mind. Every single element, every picture and every article form one of the threads in a sturdy and meaningful weave. This is a publication that fulfils an art book’s overriding purpose – to bring us close to the works.“ (Øivind Storm Bjerke)