If you have passed through the Hopkins Center's front doors lately, you may have noticed the colorful weavings currently displayed in the rotunda. The curious pieces are the work of Dianne Brott Courant.
In a lecture Tuesday Courant described herself as an introvert and philosopher. Stressing the interdependence of her life and art, she listed literature, myth and music that has added to her emotional and spiritual growth.
In her artist's statement, Courant writes: "This body of work points to the relationship between Nature and one human being and the lessons and strengths one can draw from that relationship."
Besides weaving with such fibers as silk, mohair, wool, sheep clippings and human hair, Courant incorporates materials such as bone, shell, 14-karat gold and even napkinrings into her work.
According to the artist, weavers are "step-children of painters."
She expands beyond the grid-like confines of her loom and succeeds in liberating her wall hangings from the level of craft; Courant achieves this by using objects and fabrics artistically rather than decoratively.
Working from Belfast, Maine, Courant has exhibited her wall hangings at museums, galleries, and colleges in Maine, Hawaii and New York. Her work will remain on display in the Hop through Jan. 9.
