Kimmy Tolbert is continually fascinated by the interplay of inner and outer landscapes, as well as the role of place and memory in the poetics of the everyday. Reflecting, grounding, and paying homage to beloved places, her artistic journey delves into the significance of seemingly minor objects, which serve as catalysts for layers of meaning. She acknowledges a persistent tension within herself and her art practice, a desire for both spontaneity and stability, which she embraces as a catalyst for personal growth and creative exploration.
In her collection "Jump, and the net will appear," which spans the past six years, Tolbert presents works inspired by woven forms, including pieces titled "Liminal" and "Echo." These works invite viewers to navigate dichotomies such as structure versus chaos, safety versus risk, and knowing versus unknowing within the open weave patterns and spaciousness. Dreamlike and poetic, these pieces offer viewers the opportunity to interpret their own meanings within the spaces created by the warps and wefts.
"Liminal" showcases handmade paper with a suspended fiber piece, employing the basic tabby weave structure that serves as the foundation for all tapestry weaving. This structure enables the coexistence of more freeform elements on the loom, with hand-dyed indigo weft threads contrasting against the black warp strings.
In "Echo," Tolbert explores the bending and expansion of the tabby weave structure, creating wavelike forms that merge warp with weft. The monoprint features dark indigo ink, with fibers delicately emerging and receding between foreground and background, evoking a sense of weightlessness, balance, and flow.
Kimmy Tolbert is an artist and art educator who primarily works with fiber, mixed media, and printmaking. She has a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and taught Visual Art in Chicago Public Schools for 9 years before moving to Asheville two years ago. She loves creating spaces for people to come together and create, and she teaches frame loom weaving workshops under the name Gather Handwoven. She has worked with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Intuit Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, the National Arts Education Association, and is a Board Member for the nonprofit Mini Studio. She was awarded a Fund For Teachers Fellowship to study weaving and natural dye in Oaxaca, a Circle Innovation Grant, and other grants designed around creating art based solutions to educational challenges in her classroom and school communities.