Life as Art with Rhiannon Griego

Weaving is an ancient practice. How did you find your way to weaving? Do you feel connected to its cultural lineage?

What initially drew me to weaving is its rooted nature in human evolution. We would not be the modern humans we are today without this practice and skill. I found myself in my first class with my mentor through synchronicity. One day back in 2013, I literally said out loud to the universe, "I’m ready to learn how to weave, bring me my teacher." The following afternoon, I was with a friend who said she had taken a class with a woman in Berkeley, California. I asked for her contact, and the rest is history. There was always a fascination with basket weaving and textiles: My maternal lineage is Tohono O’odham, so I have understood the practice as one that is deeply intertwined with who I am, and having a long-standing Spanish ancestry here in New Mexico, my ancestors were also in the fibre arts. It’s always been a way of life that was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but the moment my hands met the materials and followed the rhythmic movement on the loom, a new understanding arrived.

You’ve said in an interview you allow the looms to guide you intuitively, rather than lead from the mind. Was this process something you had from the start, or learned to cultivate?

This has been my process since day one. I was instructed to not get in the way or lead the loom but rather follow where it’s instructing me to go. It’s more of a mindful practice that allows me to embrace the mistakes, trust that every nuance of this process is intended to be there, and allows me to simplify the creative journey into a feeling. I often intellectualise the world around me, so to be in a meditative space allowing feeling rather than thought to guide me has birthed a peaceful space.

Our world predominantly favours reason and cerebral rationale. What have you observed happens when you lead from intuition instead?

Initially, it’s discord. The mind wants to understand, grapple with every detail, define the form and concept. There is a surrender into the body, one that feels like a resistance, one that is structured by society. The act of weaving in this capacity is my own rebellion against the world; To trust, to feel the internal body of my intuition, to revel in the femininity of emotion is a beautiful dance. To be in the sphere of making wearable art, one must be in tune with the tactility of textiles; It’s centered around touch, to be touched by fibers, to be clothed by materials of the Earth. My experience after 10 years of weaving reminds me I still have walls to surrender to and more experimental play to let go into it.

You’ve talked about weaving almost as a spiritual practice before — could you share a little about this?

To be a weaver is to be considering all threads of life at every moment. I do not separate my art practice from life as the thoughts, the guiding forces that inspire me to create, to weave a web of beauty in all areas of life do not cease when I leave the studio. Each day I wake up, I want to create beauty in the world so I start with myself. I lead my day with beautiful thoughts and aspirations; I hope to create positive, uplifting ripples with those in my life, whether they be a stranger at the grocery with a smile, or a friend in need. How we speak, how we smile, how we interact creates the web around us. That is part of the responsibility of the weaver.

You are conscious of using fibres and a method that is outside the framework of modern consumerism. Have you experienced any connections between what you are working on at a micro level and what patterns we see in the bigger picture?

There is a ferocity within me that is attempting to go back to a more simplified form of life. I actively use a computer, I use Spotify and my phone everyday, I pay with credit cards and I am myself a figment of the imagination of those who sought to create a technologically driven world. However, weaving slows me down. It communicates an appreciation for the power of what is manifested through the language of the hands. When one gives themself the opportunity to build and construct with their hands, one can’t help but admire the brilliance of our bodies. This is how we used to do things; we had a language, a knowledge for every living entity around us. We had wisdom of plants, their interconnected nature, we had lexicons for medicines, dyes, the density of woods in the world. Our society has gifted us with much imagination to the point we can travel outside this planet, but we are taking for granted the life here and destroying the minute worlds that are still waiting to be discovered. My process as a weaver is one that brings me back to the foundation of Earth, of being of this Earth and appreciating her.

You advocate wearing unique pieces that stand out in a time where trends circle at dizzying speeds and encourage our conformity. Do you feel there’s a connection between rewilding the way we dress and rewilding our place in nature?

Yes, absolutely. On a slower scale because again, not everyone is in the financial place to slow it down to speak. It’s a retraining of consumer habits; appreciating quality over quantity. Yes, I fully acknowledge this won’t translate for most of society, but this is the beauty of the pockets and different threads of life here. We all get to chose how we want to live, what we prioritize from protecting the Earth, to the foods we consume, to the news we adhere too. I don’t believe most people will pay attention to what they clothe themselves because frankly, they don’t have the time, it’s not the focus of their realities. But, mine is slower. I’ve created a life for myself to move more with thought, appreciation for objects and mindfully crafted than quantity.

What has the slow pace of weaving taught you about the pace of our lives and of consumption?

I myself have been caught up in the cycle of more, more, more for too long. I wasn’t aware of what I was wearing until I began weaving. I didn’t admire or hold a strong curiosity for the language and life of plants prior. There is always something beneath the bark, or the surface of things.

You describe your weaving as wearable art, could you share a little about what that means to you?

Every day we awake, we are gifted with the opportunity to experience happiness, share joy, share the beauty we feel. Life is artful; how we choose to express ourselves, define ourselves & shine. Why not transform each day into an opportunity to be beautiful? Art is this sphere that entails the light, the dark, its an ever-evolving reflection of humanity that contains all. I weave garments that contain landscapes of my mind, reflections of what I find beautiful in my environment so I want to wear that on the regular.

You’ve mentioned weaving is metaphorical. What do you feel it represents?

Weaving is about building bridges, being part of something greater together. It’s about honouring the intersections.

What role do you feel art plays in creating positive change?

Art is everything. It’s an experience that mirrors back who we are as a species on this planet. Art reflects the way we are growing, recessing, creating our own chaos, creating positive change. Art can tackle taboo topics, it can assist in understanding opposing views, differences in culture, difference in religion over time. Art gives us a voice that we can’t put into words sometimes. Art gives sound to that which we can’t hear ourselves. Art reminds us of collective human thought and feeling and it can serve as a window into thinking differently, offering dimensional perspectives outside of our own. We need that as humans.

What artists inspire you?

Olga De Amaral, Magdelena Abakowicz, Sheila Hicks, Andy Goldsworthy, Amanda Charcian, Lawrence Calver, Rothko.