Art is something that appears everywhere you look in the Carbon Corridor. Whether it be the massive Bookcliff memorial or the countless galleries in Helper, art is deeply woven into the fabric of Carbon County. September’s Gallery East exhibit features weaving in a much more literal sense, with a series of handmade rugs by artist Charlie Dalton in the exhibit “Here and There” on display on Sept. 27.
Castle Country Radio sat down with Dalton to discuss his origins as an artist, his creative inspirations and methodology, and his exhibit in Gallery East.
Dalton first took the time to explain his artistic medium, which is traditional rug hooking,” So what I’m doing is I’m taking wool strips and kind of hooking them like candy ribbons through a burlap backing. It’s not necessarily burlap but back in the turn of the century in the 1800s they were using old feed sacks and pulling old clothes through those things to create these rugs.” He continued,” What I’m doing is I’m taking what looks like a hook, and plunging that through the burlap or linen and I’m taking these wool strips and I’m pulling them up and placing them like candy ribbons. The wool fibers then lock them into place so they don’t go anywhere.”
Another aspect that stands out regarding Dalton’s work is the origin of what made him get into rug making,” when I was teaching in Tennessee, I was falling in love with my now wife. And I was having dinner at her parent’s house and her mom is a very good traditional primitive rug hooker. And so she had these incredible geometric rugs on the floor when I would go over there for dinner,” Dalton explained,” And to get in her good graces, I asked her to teach me what she was doing and how to do it.” The familial connection that comes with his art Dalton explained as,” really awesome.”
Dalton also described his work as utilitarian,” I like them being on the floor and people opening their house to the piece of work on the ground and walking on it and having the dog hair fall on it. In that sense, it becomes part of the family.”
Dalton’s gallery “Here and There” will be on display in Gallery East, which is located in the Central Instruction Building on the campus of USUE. A reception and artist’s talk will be held for the exhibit on Friday, Sept. 13 from 6:00 – 8 p.m. The gallery is free and open to the public during the academic year on Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.