An Artist-In-Residence: Carlos Bautista Biernnay

I first encountered the work of Chilean-born fiber artist Carlos Bautista Biernnay at a local gallery. The piece was La Peste, part of a show commemorating the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 and the beginnings of our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. I have always been fascinated by textile art of all kinds, and I was amazed at how Carlos was able to incorporate so many different elements into his tapestries. To call Carlos a quilter would be an understatement; he also crochets, embroiders, needle-felts, and embellishes his pieces with intricate beadwork.

Connecting with the Artist
In La Peste, Carlos provides commentary on the pandemic by depicting a plague doctorʼs mask, incorporates a self-portrait that dissolves into pixels, and portrays a Dadaist universe where skeletons dance while crows lurk among f lowers in a surreal galaxy. La Peste was just one piece of art in an impressive show with a variety of compelling work, but I couldnʼt take my eyes off of it, and I knew I had to reach out to the artist.

I connected with Carlos and asked if he would be willing to come to my school as an artist-in-residence, and I was thrilled when he agreed to a six week program with my seventh and eighth-graders. Carlos and Suzanne Kachmar, the executive director of City Lights Gallery where I first saw Carlosʼs work, prepared a workshop for students in which they would create their own quilted paintings.

Artist Visits
As an introduction to the project, Carlos brought in examples of his work each week to discuss with students. He explained how he often draws inspiration from his dreams and how the Dadaist elements he includes are a reminder to laugh even in uncertain times.

Carlos was four years old on September 11, 1973, when Augusto Pinochet staged a coup in Chile. Carlos had moved to the United States and was living in New York to attend school when the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001. These dual September 11 events shape much of his work, and aspects of both events can be seen in many of his pieces.

Carlos also includes pop culture references from his childhood as well as characters from his favorite operas, such as Mozartʼs The Magic Flute and Pucciniʼs Turandot. His clash of cultures, characters, themes, and personal elements create a visual cacophony in his work that captures the viewerʼs attention and prompts them to reflect on their own experiences and memories.

Quilted Paintings
To begin the project, Carlos asked each student to draw an image on a piece of 12 x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) paper. The subject matter was open-ended; some students were inspired by the absurdity of Carlosʼs work and chose to recreate their own dreams, while others chose to stick with something more basic such as landscapes.

Students then transferred their drawings to fabric with carbon paper and traced over the lines with black ultrafine permanent markers. Carlos explained that this would result in more shading and depth in their finished pieces.

Carlos then instructed students to water down acrylic paint and apply it to their fabric drawings. The paint had to be thin enough to embroider over later, and the colors bled into each other to create a soft effect that was anchored by the marker lines.

After the fabric dried, Carlos had students layer a piece of cotton batting behind their work and place both parts in an embroidery hoop. Using brightly colored thread, students embroidered over their lines to add interest and contrast.

When they were finished, students could add rhinestones or beads and cut out their image or leave it as a square tapestry. We used a sewing machine to add an overlock stitch to finish the edge of the projects.

Benefits of a Visiting Artist
This artist-in-residence program was enriching in so many ways. Carlos added an energizing and motivating element to the embroidery and sewing units that we typically do in class. Beyond seeing Carlos’s incredible works of art, students were able to discuss the fascinating pieces with him firsthand. This was an unforgettable experience for my students, and I hope it has inspired them to continue exploring the myriad possibilities of fiber arts.