Eleanor Wirth
Eleanor Wirth has a background in textile design and fine craft based in Fort Mill, SC.
She has recently focused on one-of-a-kind, hand stitched sequin artwork primarily using antique beads and sequins from France and Belgium dating back to the 1920s and 1930s.
Creating patterns rich in depth and texture, she builds surface interest through layering or folding the materials.
Eleanor’s work has been seen at the McColl Center, Mt. Airy Museum of History, Bellagio, Red Sky Gallery, and Piedmont Craftsmen, among others. A selection of her artwork and jewelry collection is part of an ongoing exhibit at Luca Studio and Gallery in Fort Mill, SC and Piedmont Craftsmen in Winston-Salem, NC.
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artist statement
My over 40 year career as a textile designer was focused on developing fabrics for the office and hospitality markets. The demands of the industry in terms of price, quality and performance standards often frustrated my creative process. In my desire for fewer constraints, I moved away from the industry and discovered off loom bead weaving. The flexibility of the medium allowed me to cast away the limitations previously encountered, presenting the opportunity for invented exploration and play.
Through a fortunate connection, I obtained an expansive collection of vintage seed beads and sequins which were manufactured in Europe during the 1920’s and 30’s. These older sequins were more substantial and refined than today’s thinner, often crudely cut materials. Having kilos of beads rather than the standard tubes’ worth one would normally purchase, I was able to think, design and fabricate personal adornment pieces on a much grander scale. By stitching in a dimensional way, often adding layers, pleating or building height, these pieces became more sculptural.
During the Covid shutdown, I rediscovered this sequin collection still sitting in my studio. I moved away from wearables towards wall embellishment pieces. Weaving came into play once again, but in an entirely different manner. Stacking, folding, and layering the sequins with beads in varied combinations, I create patterns, textures and depth, sometimes replicating weaves from my past with a new twist. I experiment with rich textures, colors, and a variety of concepts. All are meticulously hand stitched, one bead, one sequin at a time.
The creative opportunity for me is in the discovery – finding new ways to use the materials, pushing them beyond expected use. I find working this way to be challenging, flexible and creative while exploring relationships inherent in color and texture.