Wall Hanging

Artist Katherine Ardis Ux (American, 1910-1999)

Date1973

Mediumhandwoven wool

DimensionsOverall: 6 ft. 1 in. × 43 in. × 1/2 in. (185.4 × 109.2 × 1.3 cm)

Credit LineGift of the friends of Miss Fillette Many in her memory

Exhibition History"Katherine Ux Retrospective," Central Michigan University Park Library (June 1 - Aug. 27, 2004). Label TextArtist and longtime arts educator Katherine Ardis Ux found inspiration in nature and the artists she met while traveling the world. Her interest in weaving surfaced while studying the craft in Stockholm, Sweden, in the 1950s. Later that decade, her passion for weaving deepened during a two-year trip traveling throughout Central and South America where she worked with and learned from local artists. Connecting with nature and incorporating it into her daily life were priorities for Ux, so much so that she and her husband had their home physically relocated to a more secluded location when a McDonald’s restaurant opened nearby. One can see the influences of nature throughout many of her works, including in this wall hanging. In this piece, an immense sun looms over a forest scene of changing seasons. Her time spent in Mexico decades prior most likely inspired this large sun. Reflecting on her experiences with the intense sun during her travels, she recalls, “It was in front of you, behind you, above you, surrounding you.” Friends of Fillette Many—a friend of Ux, a Kalamazoo Public School art instructor, and a patron of the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts—commissioned Growth as a memorial to her life. Ux titled the piece Growth because of Many’s ability to inspire and challenge her students to grow as artists and people. Ux wrote briefly about her friend and the work saying, “Her [Fillette Many’s] greatest and most lasting impression upon me was her interest in individual development and growth of both the children of Kalamazoo and the art teachers. She expected a continued growth and a striving in each of us for excellence. This feeling I tried to express in my wall hanging. I worked with natural fibers—wool, linen, and silk. Some of the yarns are hand-spun and vegetable-dyed. I tried to express life and growth through the cycle of the seasons and endless sequence of change with earth, sea, and sky playing a part but the Sun dominating all.” Ux’s art-making process was instinctive. While she created some preparatory drawings, her works developed primarily on the loom. As a result, the artworks are a mix of planning and spontaneity, with the artist embracing the imperfections that handweaving allows. Using threads of varied material and weight, Ux creates a tactile and vibrant scene that combines her reverence for nature with her mastery of craft. Writing about her practice, Ux wrote, “I like giving form to an idea, I try to express an idea or a feeling with excitement and enthusiasm… I like exploring, experimenting, feeling free, and finding out what I can do. I am always hoping to do better.” With these words in mind, Growth is both a tribute to her friend and fellow artist and symbolizes Ux’s desire for continuous improvement in her artistic pursuits. [Collection Highlight]

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