Wearable Art and Silk Shibori by Michael Smith - Shibori Master

I have been making wearable fiber art for over two decades. The technique I use is non-traditional shibori.

I use combinations of discharge, immersion, and direct application of color on fabric using a non-traditonal shibori technique employing custom designed devices, alchemy and random surprise. My unique dye process begins on white fabrics including silk charmeuse, chiffon, crepe d'chine, and silk/rayon velvet. T-Shirts begin with either white or black cotton shirt blanks. The fabric is folded between one and three times. Sopping wet, it is manipulated with dexterous fingers and put through the Crinkleator (artist constructed mechanical device) to set the controlled random fractalated patterns. Bound between special stainless steel grids, the prepared fabric is immersed in a series of fiber reactive dye solutuions. I typically use three seperate color immersion stages to build the complex color combinations. After the dye process is complete the fabric undergoes a series of hot water machine washes to clear excess dye. The finished shibori fabric is then sewn into fine washable garments. Beautiful clothing that is both functional and wearable art.

The shibori dye process is like manifesting spirit into form out of the Primordial Chaos. I have some exercise of intent, will and control, but what comes out of the dye pot through the mysterious interactions of the colors, fabric and the forces involved is totally unique and alive. It is alchemy and beautiful magic.

Over the past 20 years I have made shibori wearable art under names of Three Wishes, Chaos, and Mystic Eye.

Read more about silk here

Shibori is...

Shibori is the Japanese word for a variety of ways of embellishing textiles by shaping cloth and securing it before dyeing. The word comes from the verb root shiboru, "to wring, squeeze, press." Although shibori is used to designate a particular group of resist-dyed textiles, the verb root of the word emphasizes the action performed on cloth, the process of manipulating fabric. Rather than treating cloth as a two-dimensional surface, with shibori it is given a three-dimensional form by folding, crumpling, stitching, plaiting, or plucking and twisting. Cloth shaped by these methods is secured in a number of ways, such as binding and knotting. It is the pliancy of a textile and its potential for creating a multitude of shape-resisted designs that the Japanese concept of shibori recognizes and explores. The shibori family of techniques includes numerous resist processes practiced throughout the world. In America it has been popularized in various forms and called Tie-Dye. more on shibori...

The development of the relatively newly established field of wearable art overlaps with that of shibori, which offers unprecedented potential in creating a wide range of textures on cloth. The rich sensuous colors and pliability of the material respond well to the movement and flow of the body. The works now attract creative individuals, celebrities, and collectors; and wearable art expression has established its place between high fashion and art in North America. (www.shibori.org)

Fiber Art

Fiber art is a subclassification of fine art defined by the usually exclusive use of fabrics, yarn, other natural fibers, and now synthetic fibers to focus on the properties of the material as well as the hands-on work intensive process as part of the significance of the piece.
Twylene Moyer, in her article, Handle with Care: Loose Threads in Fiber, is here paraphrased to define fiber art as, "When the conscious choice of fiber as medium sets the agenda and the visceral and tactile import of fiber materiality forms an end in itself."

Fiber art is a sub-classification of fine art defined by the exclusive use of fiber materials and an exclusive focus on the properties of the materials as well as the process as part of the significance of the piece. Processes include: surface design (image transfer, batik, resist, silkscreen, discharge, dyeing, painting), weaving (on-loom or off-loom), basketry (twinning, coiling, wickerwork, plaiting), quilting, paper, felting, spinning, stitching, knitting, crochet, netting, needlework, and lacework, and of course, Shibori.