Ruth Laskey

Quadrants

January 29 – March 5, 2016

CAPITAL is proud to present Quadrants, an installation of new prints by Ruth Laskey. Produced in collaboration with Paulson Bott Press, in Berkeley, California, this suite of six soft ground etchings complements Laskey’s incisive weavings and expands her practice in exciting, new directions.

The prints in this suite originate from two basic images that Laskey wove specifically for this project. The shapes are stylized representations of the two pattern weave structures that are the main components of her weavings: plain weave and twill weave. Each print uses a grid of four of the original woven images; then by rotating and re-orienting the shapes within this structure, and assigning a unique set of colors to the forms within each print, a new image emerges.

Whereas Laskey is normally concerned with the figure ground relationship, and weaves in a non-traditional manner — explicitly not using repeated pattern in her works — she uses the opportunity of these etchings to experiment with pattern and repetition.

Employing an unorthodox approach to etching, the physical weavings were carefully run through the press to create each printing plate. In this way, these prints expertly translate the woven threads onto paper without losing any delicate line-work — retaining the beauty and complexity of Laskey’s weavings.

CAPITAL and the artist would like to thank Paulson Bott Press, Ratio 3, and Peter Kirkeby.