The Blog

Bringing the community into a work of art is a powerful way to engage the viewer and encourage them to be a participant in an artistic process.  For Lesli Robertson, artist and Senior Lecturer at the University of North Texas, community and collaboration are at the core of her interactive installations.  An interview recorded in July 2014 features her ideas about fibers in the 21st century, the changes she has seen since she began teaching at the University in 2006, and the importance of community and collaboration in her work.

In Bond Heal Loss, participants are given the opportunity to write on strips of cloth that Lesli then weaves into fabric.  Weaving people’s personal ideas into the cloth is a powerful, reflective experience for the artist.

So many people want to leave their mark, whether it be their name, proclamation of love or record where they were and when. Yet, so many others have found it to be a place to voice their philosophies, personal feelings, and statements of intent. I have seen that the more personal pieces are woven tightly into the weft, with a word or two generating the sense of its importance.

A past and future visiting artist at the Dallas Museum of Art in the Center for Creative Connections, Lesli brings a dynamic vision and voice to fiber arts in the 21st century.