"I should like to endow color with intoxication, fullness, excitement: I should like to give it power."
~~Paula Modersohn, painter
Artist's Statement
I have a passion for the abstract & symbolic. My creative
inspiration is primarily drawn from Celtic mythology & art, medieval
& primitive art, Russian & Greek iconography, and the natural
world. As a mixed media artist I utilize a wide variety of forms,
vibrant colors, textures & “found objects” in my work. Early I
developed a love and respect for recycled materials. That, combined
with creating and weaving my own fibers, taught me not to fear mixing
various types of materials; a lesson that has proven invaluable when
working in a variety of mediums that include two & three-dimensional
collage. Like many of the artists I greatly admire, I have spent my creative life striving to be free from barren traditions that often stifle creativity. Over time, many exceptional artists, teachers & mentors have taught me the basics of their craft. However, the most important gift they gave me was the creative courage to follow my own instincts and to be true to my creative passions. That mindset has opened the door to infinite creative possibilities for me.
India Cain ~ Biographical Information
In the early 1960’s I studied art history and design at the University of Cincinnati. I continued independent study throughout the 1960’s, focusing on Greek & Russian iconography, Celtic art and metalwork design and primitive art with a special focus on African-influenced figurative art and Australian aboriginal cave paintings. In 1969 I began studying weaving with an instructor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In 1972 I learned hand-spinning from Miss Carrie Bright of Dayton, Ohio & Maysville, Kentucky using a traditional large wheel and an Ashford treadle wheel from New Zealand. In 1975 I began working with a weaver in Dayton, Ohio who taught me to think in 3-D rather than 2-D when using fiber. She also taught me to incorporate knotting into my weaving. In 1983, after moving to Raleigh, NC, I took intermediate & advanced basket weaving through the Durham Arts Council as well as a course in hand-dying so I could dye my own fibers and reed. In 1992 I studied Ikat weaving at the Duke University Crafts Center. Soon after that I began creating small collage items and a line of Bohemian-inspired jewelry using recycled and natural elements such as feathers and stones in my work. Soon I began working on large collage pieces. From the early 1990’s on I have relied on independent study to perfect many collage and weaving techniques that I continue to use to the present day.
"I want to be in tune with nature, rather than copyng it"
-George Braque , painter
