ABOUT RUTH GENESLAW

I grew up in Buffalo, NY, the daughter of a tailor and a seamstress.  It seemed only natural that I should be drawn to textiles.  I majored in art at the University of Buffalo and taught art briefly but, after moving to New York in the early sixties, I began to pursue my interest in fiber art.  The seventies saw a resurgence in weaving and other textile arts, and I was a part of that renaissance.  For over 20 years I exhibited my fiber constructions internationally, and completed numerous commissions for residential and corporate spaces.  However, in 1988 a confluence of circumstances, interests and a new studio led to a dramatic shift in my work.  I also assumed a second career as a librarian.  

My longtime interest in the sculpture of naive and outsider artists led to my own experimentation with woodcarving. Using knives and basswood, I began to construct narrative vignettes that explored social and political themes, often incorporating autobiographical elements.  As my work developed over time it became edgier and resonated on different levels.  I have sought to address the hypocrisy, ambivalence, contradiction and hubris of events that touch our lives.  The human condition continues to provide endless material for my commentary.