John Hess

Woven Textiles

HieroglyphicsRed, White, Blue    Series 1Elliptical VariationsHexagoniaIlluminations4 Square ReversalAlhambraCopper RiverEighteen EyesEoanthropus MigrationMyth Tablet III  RUNNING GAZELLES Myth Tablet IV PLANT BIRDS, DRAGON,and PHOENIX  Myth Tablet V STAG and DEVIL DOG  Myth Tablet V GOAT MIRRORS  PrimordiaRecursive DiamondsTangled WebTilted WavesSequenciaBlue Linear FoldsYellow Linear FoldsElliptical Mirrors20 Silver Paths  Series 3ConstellationsDiminishing / Expanding SquaresCircles in ReflectionBlue Paths  Series 3Four Red Paths  Series 3Silver Paths  Series 3Winged Genie

Hieroglyphics

Salt Lake City

Nine-section wall relief where in an open weave, painted acrylic panels with a wide assortment of painted graphic images are inserted into the woven pockets and locked into place with woven bands of wool. The overall effect creates a silent language of visual communication.

Cotton / wool double weave, painted acrylic, reflective inserts
37.5“w x 37.5“h x 0.5“d
2018

Hieroglyphics

Red, White, Blue    Series 1

Salt Lake City

Two weavings showing small loom controlled wool blocks of dark, light, and mix with advancing/receding shapes giving optical movement. There are painted horizontal dividing lines separating panels with position and color changes of loom woven motifs. Second image has a similar pattern configuration as the previous two, but with vertical separating lines and a different color range. Each of these weavings can be sold separately at $800.

Wool, cotton pattern weave, metallic paint
Each,26“w x 42“h x 0.5“d
2017

Red, White, Blue    Series 1

Elliptical Variations

Salt Lake City

A folded, double woven weaving showing painted, elliptical shapes in various scale changes. A second image showing the two sections arranged as a Diptych.

Fabric paint on cotton/wool double weave
55 inches x 19.5 inches x 3 inches
2018

Elliptical Variations

Hexagonia

Salt Lake City

A four block black/white wool double weave showing hexagons in various sizes, some are with simple painted hexagon outlines, while others are painted 3D illusions resembling metallic box shapes. Some of these have top entry boxes, while others have opposing front entry positions . There is a large center hexagon showing dk./lt. reversal lines creating optical vibrations.

Metallic paint on wool double weave
33 inches x 39 inches x 0.5 inches
2017

Hexagonia

Illuminations

Salt Lake City

A pattern weaving displaying various geometrical figures moving through color and shape changes in a play of graphic dualities.

Fabric / metallic paint on a wool pattern weave.
30 inches x 46 inches x 0.5 inches
2017

Illuminations

4 Square Reversal

Salt Lake City

A five block pattern weave with a dark blue/ warm color reversal in size and outlines at a center dividing line, witha ring size and number change.

Painted metallic rings on a cotton/wool pattern weave.
31.5“w x 25“h x .5“d
2017

4 Square Reversal

Alhambra

Salt Lake City

Fabric paint on metallic twill weave depicting similar Moorish patterns found in the Alhambra, Spain

Fabric paint on metallic and wool twill yarns
24.5“w x 37“h x .5“d
2013

Alhambra

Copper River

Salt Lake City

A weaving suggesting flowing water with orange painted strips surrounding blue/green swimming water creatures, and including other elliptical shaped swimming forms.

Painted canvas strips and fabric paint on a four block wool double weave twill.
32“w x 42.5‘h x .75“d
2017

Copper River

Eighteen Eyes

Salt Lake City

I cut templates to mark patterns on the woven cloth, paint surfaces with various metallic paints and laminate painted metallic discs to the woven surface. I make the discs by pouring a mix of Plaster of Paris and water into molds, remove after dry, then sand and paint the discs with metallic paint.

Metallic paint,metallic painted discs on folded cotton double weave.
46“w x 23“h x 1“d
2015

Eighteen Eyes

Eoanthropus

Salt Lake City

A five block weave showing a dark blue elliptical shape, in a lighter orange/ yellow background band, as the first light of day, thus the title, Eoanthropus, The Dawn Man . Pattern blocks, on top and bottom of the weaving, shift the five block motif into different positions and color..

Fabric paint on wool pattern weave
32“w x 28“h x 1“d
2018

Eoanthropus

Migration

Salt Lake City

A wide variety of flying birds, painted with various surface design techniques such as dark/light color shading, chromatic warm/cool alternations, and raised points of color.The migrating flying birds all moving in oppoisite directions, with wings moving up and down, giving a visual illusion movement.

Fabric paint on cotton twill
36“w x 43“h x .5“d
2015

Migration

Myth Tablet III  RUNNING GAZELLES

Salt Lake City

Two gazelles painted in a warm/cool contrast, running over a flowing warm background, with folded, double woven bands top and bottom. The top gazelle is blue with painted red dots for strong color contrast and the bottom gazelle is a compliment, in deep reds with light painted markings. The gesture of running in opposite directions gives a feeling of motion.

Fabric paint,cotton double weave
2017

Myth Tablet III  RUNNING GAZELLES

Myth Tablet IV PLANT BIRDS, DRAGON,and PHOENIX

Salt Lake City

I like using mirrored shapes, as in the plant birds and the use of color and scale of top animals to create varietyon the woven surface. I cut out templates from original images and trace around the outline on the fabric and paint the images. On the bird images, I used the raised metallic painted dots to increase dimensional variety with different surface treatments. The painted canvas creates different reflective surfaces in contrast to the flat woven background .

Fabric paint on folded cotton twill weave,painted canvas
2017

Myth Tablet IV PLANT BIRDS, DRAGON,and PHOENIX

Myth Tablet V STAG and DEVIL DOG

Salt Lake City

Diagonal painted twill lines running in opposite directions on the two images gives the effect of movement in opposing directions. The top image has curvilinear dark/light bands, with the light bands as a color reference to the wonderful and fantastic antlers. The bottom image displays a fierce and threatening image, with the pointed, sharp barbs and the open mouth, with its snarling teeth bared mouth. The blue/violet centered relief gives a balance of coolness and calm in contrast to the images.

Fabric paint on cotton twill double weave
2017

Myth Tablet V STAG and DEVIL DOG

Myth Tablet V GOAT MIRRORS

Salt Lake City

A fantastical playful weaving of mirrored shapes, with the top warm colored goats in head to head and feet to feet mirrors, creating interesting negative shapes between the two. The bottom goats in cool blues and greens are mirrored in bilateral symmetry, with horns and heads mirrored both ways between a blue/violet dividing line.

Fabric paint on folded cotton twill and plain weave
2017

Myth Tablet V GOAT MIRRORS

Primordia

Salt Lake City

A cellular painted weaving with flowing circular forms divided by light yellow wool pattern bands, suggestions the genesis of early organic forms.

Fabric paint on a wool five block pattern weave
31“w x 33.5“h x 1“d
2017

Primordia

Recursive Diamonds

Salt Lake City

Dark blue and white painted diamonds touching each other in a graphic play of scale changes and optical illusions.

Painted canvas on a five block wool twill pattern weave
32“w x 41“h x .75“d
2017

Recursive Diamonds

Tangled Web

Salt Lake City

A graphic assortment of circular and elliptical shapes in diminishing/expanding forms crossing over to connect to adjacent shapes with bold chromatic changes.

Fabric paint on twill weave
53“w x 25“h x .75“d
2018

Tangled Web

Tilted Waves

Salt Lake City

Woven and painted cotton twill fabric and metallic circular discs laminated to fabric patterns and mounted on two canted wood backings

Painted cotton twill wth metallic discs
Diptych,eech 19“w x 28“h x 6“d
2013

Tilted Waves

Sequencia

Salt Lake City

A folded, double woven relief with raised pockets to receive painted round rods in Blues & Sienna Browns, and various horizontal twill pattern bands.

Wool, double weave twill with 1/4 inches round rods
36“w with rods, 28“w woven fabric only x 31“h x 3.5“d
2015

Sequencia

Blue Linear Folds

Salt Lake City

A folded double weave with woven vertical lines emphasizing vertical movement, and cut acrylic panels inserted into double woven pockets for stability.

Cotton double weave
20“w x 24“h x 3“d
2017

Blue Linear Folds

Yellow Linear Folds

Salt Lake City

A folded, cotton double weave showing woven lines emphasizing horizontal movement.

Cotton double weave.
20“w x 24“h x 3“d
2017

Yellow Linear Folds

Elliptical Mirrors

Salt Lake City

Folded relief showing various elliptical shapes mirrored on a center line in contrasting,complimentary colors.

Fabric paint on cotton/wool double weave
19.5“w x 25“h x 1.5“d
2017

Elliptical Mirrors

20 Silver Paths  Series 3

Salt Lake City

A woven, undulating pattern with raised, painted discs following the contour of the pattern weave, creating implied pathways.

Cotton, wool woven pattern, with raised and painted silver discs.
21“w x 21“h x .5“d
2017

20 Silver Paths  Series 3

Constellations

Salt Lake City

A two section weaving mounted together as one, depicting painted, planetary constellations in various dimensions.

Fabric paint on cotton twill pattern
Diptych,each 18“w x 26“h x 3.5“d
1992

Constellations

Diminishing / Expanding Squares

Salt Lake City

Painted square images in size and color changes with various graphic details and separated by loom woven pattern bands.

Fabric paint on cotton twill weave
27“w x 41.5“h x .75“d
2016

Diminishing / Expanding Squares

Circles in Reflection

Salt Lake City

Red and green circular shapes mirrored on a centered loom woven pattern of repeating circle motifs and large half circular forms bordering center loom woven circles.

Fabric paint on a twill weave.
27“w x 43.5“h x .5“d
2016

Circles in Reflection

Blue Paths  Series 3

Salt Lake City

A pattern weave with painted wool blocks moving across fabric designating pathways, with blue metallic painted spots emphasizing chromatic changes with background weave.

Cotton and wool, fabric paint
21“w x 24“h x .5“d
2017

Blue Paths  Series 3

Four Red Paths  Series 3

Salt Lake City

A pattern weave showing various sizes of painted canvas discs, with four center discs painted red to signify pathways.

Cotton and wool, painted canvas discs
21“w x 24“h x .5“d
2017

Four Red Paths  Series 3

Silver Paths  Series 3

Salt Lake City

A undulating pattern weave showing silver painted metallic spots moving across flat painted background blocks signifying moving pathways.

Cotton and wool, fabric and metallic paint
21“w x 24“h x .5“d
2017

Silver Paths  Series 3

Winged Genie

Salt Lake City

A woven, winged shaped sculpture, mounted on four 13 inches x 4 inches painted ellipses, creating a dimension change.

Cotton and mohair pattern weave, painted wood strips
34“w x 23“h x 4“d
2014

Winged Genie