Artwork copyright Lynn Basa. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Square Deal, 1986

Lynn Basa
(American, born 1954)

Location: Pierce College - Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Square Deal is a woven tapestry created by artist Lynn Basa. She created it using a classic Gobelin technique. Gobelin is the name of a French tapestry workshop creating textiles since the 15th century. The technique involves many weaving variations to achieve different patterns and textures. These variations highlight the unique qualities of fiber. She notes that graphic design and elements found in furniture, fashion, and architecture inspired this piece. She states, “I was not only playing with layers but with the secondary shapes created by the overlappings. It may look simply, but it takes a lot of concentration for me to juggle shapes, colors, and negative space and still end up with something that looks fresh. In all my pieces, I strive for balance that does not look stiltedly symmetrical; depth that is achieved by using flat elements; and dynamism through composition and color.”

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Pierce College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Lynn Basa creates public art sculptures, conceptual paintings, works on paper, textiles, and assemblages. She lived in Seattle from 1977 to 2002 and credits that time as her formative years as an artist. She worked for the Seattle Arts Commission and as an art reviewer for the Bellevue Journal-American. She was also a curator for the art collections at Safeco Insurance (1981-1984) and the University of Washington Medical Center (1984-1999). Basa has been a full-time artist since 1999.
Basa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in ceramics from Indiana University in 1977 and a Master of Public Administration degree in public art policy and administration from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1981. She went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. She also studied at the Gobelin Tapestry Workshop in France. She currently lives and works in Chicago.