Juanita Canzoneri of JCanz Studio
Artist’s Information Statements
mixed-media fiber
I have worked in fiber since I was 6 years old, possibly longer. For years much of my fiber work has been of a somewhat standard sort—making clothes for myself, crocheting the lace for my wedding dress (which I also designed and constructed), stage costume design and construction, and making blankets for charity.
In 2001 I began working in mosaics and found that my fiber sensibilities translated well in this new medium. I even found ways to incorporate fabric into some of my pieces. In 2005 I used both media to create "Armor as Eveningwear" for the 2005 Body Packaging show—creating a dress that looked mosaiced and an ensemble that included mosaiced pieces.
In 2008 I discovered a large box of video tapes my husband wanted to throw away. I couldn't see the sense in putting so many in the trash, so I started looking for another way to get rid of them. My initial research into video tape recycling came to a dead end, but I hit upon the idea of using the tape as a fiber. So I took apart a few tapes and started playing with ways of repurposing them, adding other materials, and making art. This work led me, eventually, to yarn bombing. Video tape is uncomfortable to wear. So it seemed best to use it outside on things that wouldn't complain about it.
At present I am in a period of transition, moving away from mosaic work and toward fiber work in a variety of forms—solo and joint public art fiber installations, wall tapestries, sculptures and other 3-D work. Some of the work uses unorthodox fibers like video tape; some uses more standard materials and techniques.
Many of my art pieces incorporate knit and/or crochet work and hand stitching such as embroidery and beading. "Paper cloth" (paper collaged onto fabric) is often used as a base material.
glass mosaics
With mosaics I have been able to please both my visual and kinesthetic requirements. My work can be touched, yet has a quiet sparkle to it which moves with the light and is incredibly durable.
There are myriad materials that can be used, but what drew me to the art form are the two centimeter square glass tiles called “vitreous glass tile.” I am constantly experimenting with other forms of glass—stained, mirror, textured, tempered, and plate—and find it only keeps getting better. Glass constantly amazes me. The texture and color range is wide enough and vibrant enough to accommodate just about any design and it contains both a visual and kinesthetic texture and is resistant to fading and stain.
I primarily use a tool called a tile cutter which allows for a more controlled cut with little hand fatigue. The added precision helps to make much smaller cuts, thus allowing me to play with designs ranging from full tiles to fiddley little bits of glass. Most of my art pieces have been worked using the direct method—where the tiles are glued directly to the base material and then grouted.
I often grout my work and keep a variety of grout colors on hand and often custom blend my colors to get the desired effect. Finding the right color can be the most uncertain step in the process. After the grout been wiped clean and left to dry for a day or so I finish the cleaning process with a clean-water rinse or a mild acid solution.
Rather than suffer my art addiction quietly I seek to infect as many other people as I can. Mosaics have been experiencing resurgence in interest and I have had the privilege of teaching people who are drawn to this ancient art form. I believe everyone has the ability to create and delight in encouraging others to explore this side of their personality, if for no other reason than for the fun of it.
