James Koehler was a contemporary tapestry artist living and working in New Mexico. He was my teacher and the teacher of many other tapestry artists over a span of about 20 years. He passed away unexpectedly ten years ago today, March 4, 2011 at 58 years of age.
Many of you probably took classes from him also. Perhaps you visited his studio, had a workshop with him through your guild or a conference, or were even one of his apprentices at some point.
“I was always drawn to tapestry weaving because of its richly nuanced surfaces and the intellectual aspects that called for unique problem solving techniques that differed from one piece to another.”
I always take a pause on March 4th to remember the things he taught me. This week I made a video to share with you about his work, his life, and some of the things he cared about. I was an apprentice in his studio for a few years near the end of his life, but there were undoubtedly many parts of James I never saw.
I have collected the online resources about James and his work that I’ve been able to find since his death in a page on my website. You can find that here: https://rebeccamezoff.com/james
“My hope is that there will be more people who become inspired to weave tapestries and to pass on that important tradition because it is worthy of continuing in a way that is not stuck in a specific mold. It is an art form that enables people to enter into their own creative process where they can explore the medium and expand the possibilities that are inherent in it. . . . I like to live my life from the vantage point of considering unexplored possibilities, and I am passionate about approaching my work in the same way.”
Please feel free to share your memories of James in the comments.
The gallery below has some further images most of which are not in the video.
