Brent Wadden - Woven Paintings

Brent Wadden (b. 1979 in Nova Scotia, Canada) creates abstract, woven paintings. His oeuvre is multi-faceted, but in this portrait, I want to focus on his more minimalist works. Wadden skillfully combines painting, design, craft, and folk art to create artworks that are both timeless and modern.

After completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing and painting, Bent Wadden started his career as a painter. Nevertheless, weaving became part of his artistic work and eventually even took the main role. His creative process begins with drawings on paper that serve as templates for his large-scale woven paintings. He then creates linear, abstract forms through the use of looms, which Wadden then attaches to raw canvases. These works of art can take several months to produce. In the process, Wadden often only encounters the final composition of the painting when it is removed from the loom.

The results are abstract and minimalist creations that reveal a complex symmetry of their various elements. Here, Wadden works almost exclusively with limited amounts of second-hand used fiber, which means that the amount of a particular thread determines the color spectrum.

Brent Wadden, Untitled, 2018, handwoven fibers, wool, cotton and acrylic on canvas, 72 cm × 93 cm × 4 cm © Brent Wadden via Pace Gallery — Untitled, 2018, handwoven fibers, wool, cotton and acrylic on canvas, 72 cm × 93 cm × 4 cm © Brent Wadden via Pace Gallery

Brent Wadden, Untitled, 2018, handwoven fibers, wool, cotton and acrylic on canvas, 232 cm × 232 cm × 4 cm © Brent Wadden via Pace Gallery — Untitled, 2018, handwoven fibers, wool, cotton and acrylic on canvas, 232 cm × 232 cm × 4 cm © Brent Wadden via Pace Gallery

Brent Wadden, Untitled, 2013, handwoven fibres, wool, cotton, acrylic on canvas, in artist's frame, 54.6 x 82.3 cm © The Artist via Phillips Auction — Untitled, 2013, handwoven fibres, wool, cotton, acrylic on canvas, in artist’s frame, 54.6 x 82.3 cm © The Artist via Phillips Auction

His works, with their repetitive geometric shapes, lines, patterns, and symmetries, make both formal and conceptual references to modern abstraction while challenging the conventions of weaving. Wadden creates a perfect balance between full and empty space in his works. He is inspired by folk and Bauhaus textiles, as well as painting movements such as Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism. He uses technical errors purposefully to challenge the distinction between the so-called “high” and “low” levels of art and to make progress.

His minimalist compositions in particular convey both contemplation and tension, demonstrating that there can be great potential for beauty and expression in simplicity. Brent Wadden’s work represents a successful tightrope walk between the seemingly opposing worlds of tradition and modernity.