Ed Bing Lee has been perfecting his knotting artistry for over 40 years. He started as a commercial fabric designer in New York and Philadelphia and then became an instructor, teaching at Moore College of Art and Design, The University of the Arts, and the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Working with colored thread and thousands upon thousands of knots, Lee transforms a simple material using a common technique into a unique form of contemporary fiber art.
Lee will tell you that his attraction to the work of George Seurat and the technical aspects of pointillism – the placement of individual and differing dots of hues, values, and intensity to create a field of color and imagery – became the fountainhead for his knotting process.
“In three dimensional or sculptural work, the knotting process is most forgiving and the work can progress in many directions simultaneously. The distinction of warp and filling is interchangeable,” he explained. “Shaping is possible in a variety of ways: by adding or dropping ends, by using different tensions, by using different knots or by using a different material. I continually return to art history for visual and conceptual stimulation. For me, it is the perfect jumping off point for work in a technique that knows no boundaries.”
[via creative boom]