What you are about to read is not a formal, canned artist statement; it is a very personal account of me and my work. As I am not a very formal or structured (some say all over the place!) person, this is a more relaxed narrative…
Born in Jamaica of very mixed ethnicity, paternal great grandparents born into slavery, maternal great grandfather a Scotsman, family once very wealthy, but all the money now gone, a nomad of sorts, living in various regions of the US for the past 30 years. I have a very supportive husband and two wonderful children, who sometimes think my work is OK, or at worst, weird! Sometimes, they even think it is very good…Perceptive, passionate, helpful, honest, impatient, intuitive, loving, loyal. This is Phil Lack.
What inspires you to create fiber art is a question I’m often asked. I’ve always painted; Living in a tropical country fostered my love of vivid, brilliant color. At school, I was fortunate enough to have art and embroidery classes almost every day, and though I was somewhat of a rebel, I enjoyed learning the more formal aspects of art. My teachers would be pleased that I actually absorbed what they were saying, between various pranks played on unsuspecting classmates…
On a visit to France, I discovered painting on silk… The exquisite challenges of painting on this sacred fabric have intrigued me for some 23 years. They say that silk is the fabric you wear when you talk to God; this I can well believe. I can get lost in the process, and have to be reminded to come back to earth for more practical aspects of life.
Now, to be a bit more formal…
The fluid surface of the silk dares me to play with its shifting textures. The fibers hold and release the tropical colors of my childhood in their own quixotic alchemy. From the sheer transparency of silk chiffon to the deeply-plied silk charmeuse, each fabric takes the precious French dyes from my brush like a willful child.
Once you’ve touched your brush to the silk, you are committed. Whether it is wall décor or clothing, there is no changing your mind, no backtracking. Brush, dye, silk … the path is unforgiving. But this immediacy allows me to flow with the moment, be completely present. An error becomes another choice, a different commitment, another path to walk. An initial vision, which at first seems to be mine, becomes its own master.
Join me on my journey of discovery!
Unless noted otherwise, my photographer is Marcia Ward, The Image Maker in Denver, Colorado. Thank you Marcia for making my work look so fine!