Weaving in technicolour

Mexican-born Gabriel Dawe has likened his string sculptures to the process of making clothes in reverse - where the result is an abstract haze of colour rather than a garment. Dawe takes his inspiration from his native Mexico and from the work of Victor Vasarely and Anish Kapoor, who he admires for his ability to 'capture the essence of so many intangible things.'

The artist's latest work, the fourth installation of his Plexus series, is currently on show at Dallas Contemporary (until 23 January 2011). The large-scale pieces - some are as big as trucks - take the form of meticulously-arranged Gütermann threads strung between wooden supports mounted with nails, and take from between two and five days to assemble. To some they resemble digitally generated gradient colourings, to others the rainbow effect of sunlight through a mist. 

Following the success of the series, Dawe's next exhibition will be a solo show at Truck Contemporary Art in Calgary, Canada, where Plexus no. 5 will be unveiled. His work will also be on show at the Texas Biennial in April 2011.

Follow the link to Motilo Magazine's blog for an interview with the artist.