Fabulous: Fieber's Fibers

I'm opening a gallery. OK, I'm not. But if I did, Martha Fieber is the artist I'd want to highlight. Her work in thread is as simple as it is complex, immediately arresting, and in stark contrast to the oversaturated, busy works of most contemporary artists.

Last weekend I walked into a remote Wisconsin gallery where my attention was arrested by a larger-scale Fieber of birch trees in the fall. The simplicity of its arrangement, finely detailed stitchwork (uncountable numbers of straight stitches and difficult to create french knots) and subtly layered threads were enough to make me want to immediately shell out the asking price of $6800. I didn't, but it's probably my loss, as Fieber's works have increased in value over the past several years from in the hundreds to in the thousands. I learned since that she has been recently honored with a Silver at the prestigious Smithsonian craft show, and that her notoriety is increasing.

Check out her symphonies in string at at www.martha.fieber.com, although I will say that the site, lacking the third-dimension, doesn't do the stitching and texture of her works justice.