Marty Jonas Flower Pots

Marty Jonas Profile on TAFA

Intricate spheres caught my eye and pulled me in. These were my introduction to the work of Mary Jonas:

There are many more, so make sure to go through her album and enjoy each singular effect. Her description of these complex structures:

“With this series of work, I am moving away from the more tangible, physical and material surfaces of textiles to industrial materials, which are known for their strength and durability. Using various types of metal insect screen, I manipulate the harsh materials into complex repetitive patterns.

At first glance, one recognizes the surface characteristics of industrial materials that are used widely in the urban architecture of our time. But as your eyes are lead into these layered sculptures of intersecting metal, glass and fibers, they appear alive with twists and turns. These structures are not enclosures but rather multilayered visions for light and shadows to illuminate. These innovative, dramatic and undulating sculptures clearly demonstrate my fascination with line, form, volume and space. The process continues from one piece to the next – always different from the last.”

To achieve such precision and explore so many variations takes patience and a delight in puzzles and problem solving. Marty shows this again, along with a sense of humor, in a recreation of a group of Skittles bowling pins, where she sliced up thousands of pieces of fabric and pinned them with glue into Styrofoam shapes. I had never heard of this predecessor to bowling, but the original pins are highly collectible. This set sold at Christie’s for over $9,000 US!

Here is Marty’s set, made out of the strips of fabric:

Marty Jonas Skittles Bowling Set

Her website documents her path of exploration through the years, working with many different textile and fiber techniques. All along, she shows an interest in science, cultural perceptions, society and always, that attention to detail. Here is an early knit work of a beetle:

Marty Jonas knit beetle

Marty spent many years studying embroidery (City and Guilds of London Institute in England from 1993 to 2000) and it shows. She comes from a family where both parents practiced handwork and encouraged her to learn, one more example of how important it is to motivate the children in our lives to use tools and create things. We are pleased to have Marty as a member of TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List and invite you to connect with her and support her in her work.

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