Char Wiss claims she is a contemporary nomad, made one by her craft.
What she calls her ”nomad baskets” are made of waxed linen thread wrapped over plastic-covered copper telephone cable.
The technique, called covered core coiling, is ancient, but her approach is an original interpretation of the age-old form.
Wiss`s baskets are stunning in their Georgia O`Keeffe-like shapes, with openings like the lips of giant nubile flowers and patterns reminiscent of ancient Asian rugs.
”I was reading about the Kurds and how they use a horizontal loom for their rugs; they stake it into the ground,” says Wiss, an Evanston resident. ”When they`re done for the day, they roll it up. That is why I love this kind of basketry. I love the portability of the basket.
”I can take it on a trip or sit under a tree with it. For most baskets, you have to work with wet materials,” she says, and it creates ”a mess.”
As for the unique undulating aspect of her baskets, she says, ”I think the technique sort of lends itself to that. I don`t like straight lines. I love the undulations.”
”The plastic-covered wire makes a perfect surface; linen is the second strongest fiber, very lasting, those two together,” Wiss says. ”Since I`m spending all this time on it, I like the idea it is not going to fall apart.
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She began working as a graphic artist for publishers, printing companies and advertising agencies, painting and drawing at the Evanston Art Center.
”I kept wandering down to the weaving room and watching the program,”
she says. ”I started to weave in 1975, and one thing led to another.” A workshop in basketmaking in 1982 converted her.
While her baskets have been in many shows, Wiss says she doesn`t sell many because the work involved necessitates high price tags ($200 to $3,000). Asked what return from her work she gets, she replies: ”In this complex world, coiled baskets are wonderfully basic. I love the restrictions of doing this and I really enjoy the simplicity and knowing I only have a few colors to use.
”I put in a few hours a day or my day isn`t complete,” she says. ”It is something I have to do. And I don`t mean to be dramatic about it, but when I go on a trip I have to have a basket along. I always start a new one. The thought of going away without one gives me an empty feeling. I never trust the baggage service. I always carry it on the plane. So when I heard about the nomad Kurds, I thought, that`s me.”