2020 SPRING GREEN ~ ALFRED ART TO WEAR ~ 159 N. LEXINGTON STREET DENNIS PHILLIPS

DENNIS PHILLIPS

LEFT: WORKING IN HIS STUDIO IN DOWNTOWN SPRING GREEN

Just the Facts! Dennis Phillips - Alfred Art To Wear - Spring Green Artist medium: Fiber - Wearable tapestry needles, ball winders, linker, graft Rosemary Clooney, Polyphony, Joan paper, lined paper, mechanical pencil, 2.0 and Armatrading, Richard Strauss, Bruce Becvar, Primary method of working: Knit fabrics up readers, Ott lamp and occasionally a Worldbeat, Bombay Dub Orchestra and Mark hand loomed to shape. Hand finished. Hand computer aided design program. Knopfler Radio. Spotify - The Chicks knits and crochet pieces. “Gaslighter”, , , Favorite tools: My knitting machine, Addi Favorite surface/technique treatment: This Rufus Wainwright, John Prine, Paloma Faith, Rocket Squared knitting needles, a wooden changes over time. For now I’m enjoying “skip Afro Celt Sound System, Be3y Who, Perfume crochet hook from my Grandmother and size stitch”. A technique to distort horizontal Genius, Bright Light Bright Light, Yola, 20 and 18 tapestry needles. stripes. Color and texture are always used. Ondara, , Pat Metheny. Studio playlist (music/podcasts) : WPR Podcasts - The Ezra Klein Show, VOX, Equipment used: Hand operated knitting Classical. Pandora - Global Chill, Gotan Phoebe Reads a Mystery and I may start The machine, knitting needles, crochet hooks, Project, The Dead Can Dance, John Klemmer, Michelle Obama Podcast.

ALFRED ART TO WEAR THREE SWEATERS ON DISPLAY CLOSE UP OF A SWEATER Artist Conversation! Let’s Learn a Little More... Tell us a little bit about developed my craft. I met yourself and how you other craftsmen/artists. A came to be living life the door opened, Craft and Art Shows. Then my working you are today? studio in Spring Green. I’m I was raised by a seamstress still learning, working, and tailor who studied developing, and loving. costume and fashion design. My grandmother, who lived with us, taught me to crochet. How do you keep things When it was time for college fresh and your mind my parents “suggested” I get engaged? PINK SWEATER a degree in something I could make a living from. My Having my studio away from degree is in Elementary home makes it easy to keep a Education. My electives were balance. When I’m home in mostly fiber and art related. rural Wisconsin I’m home. I graduated in the mid 70’s. When I’m in Spring Green Perspective teachers were in I’m in my studio. And having abundance. I ended up traveled for 35 years gave me working for Northwest plenty of practice. Orient Airlines. Just what I needed. The world was LIGHT GRAY SWEATER opened. I traveled to Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and India. I was introduced to the knitting machine/loom. I

LIGHTWEIGHT SWEATER CLOSE UP OF A WHITE SWEATER AND SCARF RIGHT: IN THE SHOWROOM AT ALFRED ART TO WEAR

Tell us a little bit Visual techniques From the Chamber I about your Studio! used in my art: get word of mouth I moved my studio to a Distorting classic stitch referrals. Being in public space in 2002. patterns. EG for a 2 Spring Green is major DARK SWEATER The studio and show color row, using 2 on it’s own. Aside from space were intermixed colors for color A and 3 major attractions the in one room. In 2017 I 2 colors for color B. Or Village is a destination moved to my current in a 3 color Jacquard of it’s own for many studio to the oldest pattern, changing it by visitors. I photograph building in Spring Green. It was using 4 colors. my work with the established in 1856 as a Research which has camera in my cell General Merchandise inspired my art: phone. It’s easy to Store. I now have an Traveling for 35 years upload to Instagram entry showroom/ and it’s impact on living and Facebook. New gallery that leads to a and learning. during this time of large studio at the back. People/Artists who Covid is business In the studio I have a have inspired my art: interactions through large north window There have been a few messaging. Images and that lets in plenty of others but I will note text has lead to color good natural light. 2 of my mother, Elizabeth choices and garment PINK & ORANGE my looms are available Phillips, who taught me selections. But social all the time, a full life is learning. media and tech sewing center, a contacts still aren’t as steaming/blocking Where can we find corner and cutting good as being in my corner. My wall of your work and learn studio or showroom. color has expanded more? No matter how good from 9’ to 12’ wide. A I maintain a website ones monitor or screen shelving unit that holds for information and may be color and cones of yarn and is contact. But I’m texture doesn’t always positioned to be visible finding fewer people translate. A recent from the showroom. use it. Instagram and example, a client Facebook are the main wanted a deep purple. Where do you find go to’s for most people. Three different images your inspiration? I’m active with the were showing too Visual inspiration in Spring Green Area much red in the color. my art: A random WARM SWEATER Chamber of When I mailed a texture and color Commerce and their swatch with the yarn it combination. Retail Committee. was perfect.