Helen Weber, 1970s Large Wood, Copper Inlay Sculpture Wall Relief Tropical Flowers Motif, c.1970s

Description

Helen Weber
Large wall hanging wood and metal sculptural relief in a tropical Hawaiian or Polynesian motif with tropical flowers. … more Helen Weber
Large wall hanging wood and metal sculptural relief in a tropical Hawaiian or Polynesian motif with tropical flowers.

"Art belongs everywhere from cruise ships to churches" This has been the mantra of Helen Webber since she began her career in the 1970’s creating hundreds of art works for public spaces throughout the United states and abroad. It was her strongly held belief that art can touch the spirit of many more people than those whose art experiences are limited to the halls and walls of museums and galleries. Her bold and richly hued art works executed in a wide variety of media, such as tapestry, glass, metal wood and clay have been installed in universities, corporations, medical facilities, cruise ships, hotels, religious spaces, community and civic centers and even in a train station. Over the years many architects and interior designers have collaborated with Helen Webber finding that her work enhanced their designed environments, giving her the opportunity to create art for well known corporations as well as multitudes of residences. It is the tapestries that she is best known for, and it is this medium that dominates the largest body of her work, which was first introduced to the design world in the mid 1970's. The tapestries utilize a fabric collage technique combining an array of designer upholstery fabrics such as velvets, brocades, worsteds, jacquards, mohair, hand woven woolens, among many others. Yarns of all kinds are integrated into the tapestries surrounding the edges of each fabric piece.
Some clients, who saw that Webber’s particular art style could be expressed in a variety of media, offered her commissions in stained and etched glass, wood collage, sculpted tile, cast stone, and painted metal. Some of the work in these media are initially fabricated in other artisan’s studio under Helen’s supervision, and brought to her studio for final finishing work. However the tapestries, clay tiles, and stone castings have been completely fabricated in Helen’s studio. A body of work in painting and drawings reveals Helen Webber’s penchant for combining words with her visuals. She states that she uses the words not only for their meaning but also for the graphic effect.
During her career she has lectured and taught at colleges and organizations across the US to encourage artists to enhance their creative spirits and flourish in the world out side of their studios. She gave lectures and talks from California to Paris, and has been an instructor at the California College of the Arts, as well as Hussian Art College in Philadelphia. She co-founded Women in Design International to help make women’s talents more visible in the design world and the world at large.

Education: PS 150 in Queens to the Rhode Island School of Design, RISD
The educational process started when she was in 4th grade and attended an after-school art class sponsored by the WPA. Then to New York’s Little Red School House, followed by Music and Art High School and a BA in Psychology from Queens College, followed by studies in social group work at Columbia University. Then receiving a Masters Degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. Earlier in her career Helen created a suite of ten tapestries that celebrated the spirit of the child, inspired by the United Nation’s declaration of the Rights of the Child. These remain in her collection as limited editions. less