We spoke to artist Theo Rooden (NLD) about his creative practice and the inspirations behind the work featured in our current exhibition Line/Loop/Line, on site at the Australian Tapestry Workshop until February 2024.

How did you get into making art?

I was creative as a child. Drawn to patterns and abstract compositions early on. I went into making art later on, focusing on my cognitive competences first. I gained confidence to rely on intuition and less rational processes by being a graphic designing, then taking the plunge and became full time visual artist. I discovered the loom about five years ago, that helped a lot in building a reputation as a visual artist..

Who or what inspires you to create?

There are three categories of inspiration to me. First one is the world around me. I built a big archive of daily photos. Just ordinary encounters. Some projects take an emerging theme as a starting point. For instance shadows or the grid. Second one are visual artists such as Bridget Riley, Jan Schoonhoven, M.C. Escher and Josef Albers. I share their passion of combining cool geometry with the warmth of handwork. The third category is my own head. Always filled with puzzles and challenges, numbers and algorithms. The loom and the possibilities and constraints of weaving techniques act as catalyst.

What does your practice involve – what techniques do you use in your work?

For the last four years my art practice involves creating handwoven textile art. I use various weaving techniques, picking those that allow for geometric compositions. I use floor looms with shafts, and by pushing a treadle the shuttle moves through the shed. One of my looms is a damask loom, gives me (too) much freedom for compositions. Instead of making complicated compositions, I decided to make use of the damask technique to introduce diagonals in addition to the horizontal and vertical in weaving. In my artworks I challenge the flatness of fabrics with a colourful yet minimalistic approach. The optical effects are achieved by carefully selecting colours of the threads, both in the warp and the weft.

What does a day in the studio look like?

The ideal day in the studio is filled with hours of weaving. And sure there are periods of production, when designing and sampling led to plan for a collection. A lot of effort goes into the entrepreneurial part of the business: building a network, working on communication and pr, preparing for exhibitions and publications. This autumn (northern hemisphere ;)) I was busy with exhibitions and deadlines. Now I am looking forward to ‘hibernate’ in my studio. Working on ideas, making samples and sketches to start productng with fresh energy beginning of next year.

How does your work in this exhibition relate to your practice and where it is heading?

The two pieces in the exhibition are a nice example of my signature. Optical effect will always be part of my works. I made a lot of big colourful pieces last year. I am now exploring small scale, and I guess I will try to wow without bold colours in 2024.

‘Line/Loop/Line’ is open to the public to view 1-5pm, Tuesday – Saturday until 2 Feb 2024.

View the ‘Line/Loop/Line’ exhibition page here.