Tawney’s innovative work was at the vanguard of what came to be called fiber art during the second half of the twentieth century. Her groundbreaking sculptural weavings were an important influence in the United States and internationally. Works ranging from intimate to monumental in scale evidence both the originality of her vision and her sensitivity to the expressive potential of the medium.
In 1964, Tawney began a series of ink drawings on graph paper, initially inspired by her study of the Jacquard loom. These meditative pieces became a significant and ongoing part of her oeuvre. During the 1990s, she reinterpreted the ink drawings using linen thread in three dimensions in a series titled Drawings in Air.
Shortly after beginning her graph paper drawings in 1964, Tawney also began to explore collage. In these works, the pages of antique books were often enhanced with drawing or Tawney’s own fine handwriting. She sent hundreds of postcard collages with cryptic, sometimes humorous messages to friends and created a series of collaged books and other objects.
Tawney’s highly personal sculptural assemblages were begun during the mid-1960s and continued throughout her career. In these primarily small-scale works, objects collected over the years–eggs, feathers, pebbles, bones, shells, beads, buttons, and vials–were infused with new meaning and a personal, hidden poetry.
Tawney’s innovative work was at the vanguard of what came to be called fiber art during the second half of the twentieth century. Her groundbreaking sculptural weavings were an important influence in the United States and internationally. Works ranging from intimate to monumental in scale evidence both the originality of her vision and her sensitivity to the expressive potential of the medium.
