SWIM by ABIGAIL DOAN

“Swimming is an endurance sport of the most poetic nature. As someone who spent her childhood summers wading knee-deep in the tide pools of coastal Maine, a good swim is synonymous with wide-eyed observation. Sharp barnacles and granite rocks are small obstacles for a sandal-clad five year-old; these images remain with me as reminders of the beauty that coats even the most treacherous surfaces.

Today, I swim through memories of sunny days spent floating on my back in the pond on our family farm – counting geese flying by overhead as silt brushed against my feet in the cool, spring-fed water.

The art of the swim makes one independent, as well as dependent. It is no surprise, perhaps, that I eloped to a California beach where my future husband and I used to swim after arriving straight off the plane from NYC. Pescadero is our common ground. One where sand-washed wood and polished glass became the jewels of resistance coupled with harmony.

As an environmental fiber artist, I continually drift through loose strands of textiles and debris in the studio – navigating an endless sea of possibility with the desire to grab onto the edge of a sculpted form or composition that has lasting resonance. I am all the stronger for going against the tide while also adorning myself with the flotsam from an epic swim that I have grown to call life.”

~Abigail Doan

Environmental fiber artist and writer, Abigail Doan, divides her time between NYC, Eastern Europe, and Italy. Her work as a fiber artist offers a unique view into the materials, methods, and the life cycle of contemporary textiles, slow fashion garments, and related environmental issues.

May 2013