David Chatt

So, this technique is based on a four-sided unit with a bead on each side; the next unit shares a side so three additional beads are added to make the next unit. I think of these units as squares—so if you can imagine a piece of graph paper with a bead on each line segment, you start to get the idea. I worked with this technique in its flat form for a while, and then realized that squares which employ four beads can be made into cubes which employ twelve beads. This was huge, because beadwork is usually thought of as a technique that one covers something with, or makes flat objects from. That said, I was one of a handful of people who had started to challenge the preconceived notion of what beads could be used for and had started to think of it as a sculptural medium. This cube approach provided a way to work totally three-dimensionally. One can work side to side, top to bottom, or above and below without ever leaving the grid configuration.

Once I had that figured out, I learned how to alter the stitch in a myriad of ways through increasing and decreasing, using multiple beads per side, etc. I continue to alter, explore, and discover new ways to use this basic technique. Did I discover it? No. . . . What I did was to take a basic stitch, change it a bit, and figure out ways to vary it and develop it. Right Angle Weave really did revolutionize beadwork for those who can understand and internalize its basic logic.

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• David Chatt
• Keith Haring
• Bellevue Arts Museum
• Tacoma Art Museum
• Bellevue

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SW:Is that a reproduction of your home studio at the museum?

Chatt: No, I was in the midst of moving from Capitol Hill to Ballard, where my partner and I recently purchased an old former church. The timing was right and the interest was there, so I deinstalled the shelves and carted them over to the Museum along with several other pieces.