Mary Rose Watson

Mary Rose Watson’s textile pieces challenge established concepts of weaving. Working off-loom, she lays warp and weft simultaneously, wrapping yarn directly around a frame structure.

The artist’s work is process-driven and she begins each new project with a period of research and experimentation in new ways of wrapping. Watson devises new mathematical formulae to weave the intersecting layers of yarn, which result in the arresting geometric patterns in her work. These structures react with light to create a constantly changing visual experience, intensified as the observer moves around the piece.

In conjunction with form, colour is a key element. The act of hand-dyeing her own yarns allows for control in her colour palette; she fine-tunes colour combinations to create resonances and contrasts specific to the design of each piece.