Divination Objects, 2019-2020
Ink on paper, woven
50 x 32 inches

Divination Objects are paper tapestries that are made by first splicing then weaving together ink stain drawings and printed sheets of text containing academic teaching evaluation surveys. Divination Objects draws from the ikat technique: Unlike many weaving processes in which patterns of a tapestry are formed by switching between different colours of fibre during the weaving process, ikat requires a pre-colouring of fibre components before weaving. This requires an anticipatory imagination on the weaver’s part, who needs to plan for how the patterns on the horizontal and vertical fibres may overlap on the finished tapestry. Divination Objects draws from the anticipatory nature of ikat to explore notions of futurity, attitudes towards learning and education, and a growing sense of precariousness compensated by a projection of control via language.