Alternate Views 
Crystal Rug
by Charlene Laughing, Navajo
Artist Bio
Description: Crystal design rug with natural and commercial dyes on commercial wool.
About this Award: Awarded to acknowledge excellence in technical achievement in any form of weaving or fiber arts. Rugs, baskets and other fiber arts are eligible.
Jurors’ Comments:
Mark Bahti: Basically it's interesting for the panel motifs, which you normally expect to see in a Wide Ruins rug rather than a Crystal. Having it in a Crystal gives the pattern a real interesting overall visual complexity that’s mediated a bit by the diagonal orientation of the pattern. So there is a symmetry of sorts. Yet there's asymmetry enough to keep it visually interesting—balanced with enough symmetry to give the eye a place to rest. [See Mark’s additional comments on this piece under Award of Excellence in Textiles or Weaving.]
Martin Kim: You also brought to my attention the keystone marking elements between the patterns that are in the parallel bands. I find that very interesting too. And, really, this is just a technical tour de force.
Susan Folwell: No comment
Photo by Marnie Sharp