Frances Doyle Miller

Lives and works in Oakland, CA, USA

Artist statement

I record urban narratives through woven, shaped, mixed-media tapestries, which I create on large 4-harness floor looms. The visual translation of thought and memory on and off the grid helps usher in a re-negotiation of my past and accords me with a sense of power I once thought had vanished. I became self-taught at tapestry techniques through trial and error. This allowed me the freedom to develop he practice of shaping my work. I use a pulled-warp technique to create holes throught the surface. I also use slit-tapestry to disjoint the surface throughout most of the landscapes in my work. I use hand-dyed natural materials like wool mill ends, silk, cotton, and linen because of their luster. I also incorporate machine died fibers, unconventional, and re-purposed manufactured materials because we live in an even more plastic world than we did yesterday. Growing up in Oakland during the 1980s and 90s, I was surrounded by the vibrance of all different types of fashion, urban decay covered by street art, abandoned apartment stores, pigeon and human shit, crime, busted car windows, the best people, music blasting everywhere, a sense of the urban mystic, and all coupled with a stunning—foggy bay backdrop. My translations into tapestry have all been informed by that environment.

Artwork