Found Object Friday with Wen Redmond
Collecting for Form and Function in the studio
The Found Object Friday Series:
We artists do love our collections, don’t we? Ever since I was a child, I’ve been drawn to small, curious things—trinkets unearthed at flea markets, foraging for smooth stones and bits of metal on long walks, objects that seem to hum—waiting to share their own stories. Long before I knew what I’d make of them, I gathered these artifacts from the past.
As it turns out, I’m not alone in this. So many artists I admire share this impulse to collect—oddities, treasures, and fragments that make their way into their work or simply live in the studio as quiet companions.
In this ongoing series, I’m thrilled to introduce you to guest artists and the objects they love. Some names you may recognize; others might be new discoveries. Through their responses to a few simple questions, each one offers a peek at their collections and art practices in this virtual show-and-tell: the objects that caught their eye, the stories behind them, and sometimes how they plan to use them in their art or home. Be sure to check out their bios and links to find out more about each artist.
Today’s feature artist is none other than fiber artist, Wen Redmond. Wen was featured in the original series back in April of 2014. Since that time, Wen has written two books, been featured in numerous articles and magazines, and has a feature length course with the outstanding Fibre Arts Take Two community. I am thrilled Wen said yes to the invitation to be a part of the Found Object Friday series once again!
Hi Wen! Do you still have the original object you shared with us in 2014?
Yes. I still collect stones, albeit larger ones. They line my windowsills and serve as weights for pressing work.
What object/s are you sharing with us now?
Wen: Because weights come in handy for pressing books and gluing pieces to mounts, I also have a collection of old irons. These are literally made of iron and are very heavy.
Tell us a little about where you found the object-- was it a gift, a purchase, or something you found?
Wen: I started collecting antique irons on journeys to antique stores and flea markets with my mother-in-law. She was an antique dealer on the hunt and I, lacking funds, would collect inexpensive objects.
“Antique irons, often referred to as sad irons or flat irons, are pressing tools heated for ironing clothes, typically made of cast iron and heated on a stove or fire.”
Why did it catch your attention?
Wen: The antique iron caught my eye because of my history as a fiber artist. Then the idea popped in my mind to use them as weights for my art process. They also come in handy for holding long rulers in place when rotary cutting works in progress.
Is there any symbolic or deeper meaning represented in the object?
Wen: The iron’s long herstory of use by women, for women’s work is symbolic. The connection of the iron to fabric is hard to deny. Using them seems to be a connection to that past, and using them as tools in my art now, makes them useful again.
How has your style as artist and collector evolved since the original series in 2014?
Wen: I feel art making is an evolution. I continue to explore fabric but have included mixed media processes and materials to my work, with an emphasis of exploring photographic presentations.
I print photographs, that are artfully created, onto mixed media substrates, creating unique photographic textural constructions. These imaginative presentations complement the pioneering investigation of my media and give the finished work its pioneering edge.
Every work generates an artistic tension, followed by the excitement of the actual creation of the work. Each work is unique and created individually. A dialogue is started, and the work becomes real.
My techniques can be further investigated in my books—Digital Fiber Art and Other Mixed Media Masterpieces, and a brand-new book—Explorations with Collage! Merging Photographs, Paper & Fiber.
Join Wen’s online workshop with Fibre Arts Take Two coming in September of 2025.
https://www.fibreartstaketwo.com/courses/wenredmond/
Find out more by visiting Wen’s website: http://www.wenredmond.com/
Follow Wen on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/greymooncove and Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/wenredmond/?hl=en
Shop Wen’s artwork on Etsy UpLIFTmeNTs Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WenRedmondArt
Or Artful Home: https://www.artfulhome.com/navigate?searchTerm=redmond
I love that Wen’s irons and rock collections double as weights in her art practice. How about you?
I love Wen's iron collection, so beautiful and how wonderful that she is
doing women's work as an artist and using them towards her creativity and for
practical purposes. I have a large rock collection I use as weights and they work well
since I use a lot of three dimensional objects in my assemblages and the rocks can fit in and around the three D objects to help adhere them.
Really enjoyed meeting Wen and her art! Wen's art is so intriguing. I look forward to watching her videos on youtube. I too collect irons and use them to weigh art down. They are fun to display but are very useful! And some of the old one have rusted - which can created beautiful marks if use on wet papers! Thank you for highlighting such talented artists in Found Object Friday!