This exhibition features a creative challenge designed to pair artist members of the Missouri Fiber Artists Association, in order to create joint collaborative works of art. A related previous collaborative project was completed in 2016, entitled “Pairings.” This pairings challenge, “Counterpoints 2020,” is designed to facilitate artistic growth and creativity, and to develop fun, collaborative shared interactions among members.
For this challenge, participating MoFA members were randomly paired. Each set of partners chose one of the 7 elements of art to focus on. The elements of art are line, color, shape, form, value, space, or texture. Each partner emphasized one aspect of their element in their work. For example, if the pair together selects the element of “shape,” then one artist might choose to emphasize geometric shapes in the joint project, while the other may choose to emphasize organic shapes, thereby creating a “counterpoint” dynamic.
Each artist began with a 10” x 10” artwork in her choice of media, keeping in mind her element and its characteristics. Each artist stopped about halfway through completion, leaving room for their partner to finish the piece begun, in her own way. The other partner did the same. The trade followed as each partner mailed each other their projects. Projects were finished in each artist’s chosen media and style, keeping at the forefront, the utilization of the chosen element.
When the scheduled time was complete, both artists mailed their completed projects to the Counterpoints 2020 coordinator, who arranged for the exhibition. The resulting joint or paired projects illustrate the concept of “Counterpoints” and become statements about cooperation, creativity, collaboration, and melding of diverse ideas.
