art_works recently had the pleasure of connecting with Sandy Lamb, a Montreal-based weaver. Originally from Guelph, Ontario, he additionally runs Haut Beau, a line of handwoven and geometrically structured rugs.
In his practice, Sandy Lamb makes use of naturally dyed materials that incorporate a variety of plants, such as marigold and indigo. The striations and tonal inconsistencies arising from the natural dying process allow for a layered depth that is further compounded by the artist’s intricate woven patterning. Colours gently interfuse and coexist in his tactile explorations of both formal and symbolic motifs, which take the shape of ethereal half-moons, sinuous pathways, checkered colour blocks, and so forth. The resulting works are simultaneously serene and unfettered; they evoke the exhilaration of direct encounters with the natural world.
Within the quiet confines of Sandy Lamb’s studio space – tucked away from the February cold in Montreal – we discussed the importance of listening to materials, learning from dreams, and the joys of gardening and creative rituals.
art_works: Thank you so much for opening your studio doors for us. Can you start off by telling us a bit more about your artistic process?
Sandy Lamb: My weaving process starts with the materials. It's important to listen to the materials and try to understand how they can best express their quality. A mohair wool will require a different structure than a thick twined jute cord. By playing with the materials I can produce a range of different structures and samples. This is the play portion of the process for me, and then at some point, the challenge is trusting my own intuition and narrowing down the samples. Once I have decided on a structure I want to explore, then there is another round of experimentation and sampling with design, colour, scale, etc. My process is a lot of iteration and repetition, until I have something that I feel most closely approximates my intention. The natural dyeing process works very much the same. I begin with the materials and a lot of experimentation, combination, and sampling. I almost never end up with something that I can't find some use for, so there is very little waste.
A bin filled with leftover spools of yarn
a_w: How did you first get into tapestry weaving?
SL: I had been knitting for several years already in 2011 when I was given a frame loom. I then quickly sought out and purchased my first floor loom. After experimenting with some different weave structures, I fell in love with the possibilities, depth, and breadth of weft-faced weaving. I later returned to the Montreal Center for Contemporary Textiles in 2014 to study for one year and gain a more complete technical skill set, but my area of interest within weaving for the last decade has remained weft-faced weaving.
One of the looms in Sandy Lamb’s studio
a_w: You also run Haut Beau, your line of handwoven rugs. How do your art practice and clothing/rug-making practice inform each other? Do you draw any distinctions between these bodies of work?
SL: I don't really draw any distinctions between the knitting, dyeing, and weaving aspects of my practice. They all reflect the same process and artistic trajectory that I am on, and they all mingle and interact with each other. My recent knitted sweater “body of water”, 2022, is, on the one hand, a technical execution and symbolic work. It was made with 60 different skeins of hand-dyed myrobalan and indigo wool, one gradient inlayed in reverse within the other. It obviously requires knowledge and expertise in both dyeing and knitting. But it is also about the imagery of a window, the idea of looking out on the world while the world looks in, and our physiological connection to the environment, among other things.
a_w: We find ourselves at the beginning of 2023. What are some projects that you are looking forward to this year?
SL: I'm working on a few collaborations this year that I'm quite excited about. One of the projects is with fellow weaver Miriam Parkman from Sweden. We are in the early stages of putting a show proposal together. It will be a sort of cross-cultural inquiry into weaving and craft. Another project is a top-secret product design project with an incense company that will be a nice change of pace from the weft-faced weaving. Of course, I always have my own expansive personal projects and commissions simmering in the background; there is never a shortage of work or inspiration in the studio.
Sandy Lamb showcasing his recent body of work
a_w: Are there any new ideas or concepts that you are considering in your latest body of work?
SL: There will always be a purely formal and geometric quality to my work. Part of that is due to the nature of the medium, and the other part due to the nature of my process. I am always iterating new ways to approach the same idea; what new way can I communicate a circle, a shape, a gradient. Recently, however, I have been sketching images from my dreams, and trying to work from a more symbolic place. This reflects my own personal journey over the last couple of years, trying to work from a place of feeling versus a place of thinking or analysis. For me, the challenge is to create something moving, beyond something that is simply technical or premeditated.
a_w: Your website lists an impressive collection of job titles – library page, usher, dishwasher, cook, tree-planter, firefighter, knitter and weaver… If weaving was out of the equation, what do you think you might be up to?
SL: I've maintained a few different creative outlets in my life aside from weaving. Recently I've become interested in writing again, and am trying to dedicate some time every week to this practice. During the last couple of years I have been gardening with a small company in Montreal, and I very much enjoy that. I get to spend time outside, with plants, with friends. Any job that gets me to use my mind and body interests me.
Sandy Lamb showcasing his recent body of work
a_w: Your space is so open and bright. Do you have any creative rituals, or what does a typical studio workday look like for you?
SL: My days in the studio follow a strict routine, which may be the closest thing I have to ritual. I begin the day by biking to my local cafe, reading and/or sketching over a coffee. I typically use this time to plan projects, my schedule, make to-do lists, or draw. This in-between space helps me transition to work mode. I then bike the 20 minutes to the studio and spend the rest of the day warping, weaving, dyeing, finishing projects, or tidying the studio. Often at the end of the day, I will return to the cafe for a tisane to unwind and do non-work related reading or writing before I return home. This time alone is an important opportunity for reflection and relaxation.
a_w: Thank you for giving us this insight into your practice! It has been so wonderful to learn more about your inspiration and process.
A corner of Sandy Lamb’s studio space