Jennifer Angus

She joined the faculty of the department of Environment, Textiles and Design at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in September, 2001. She is an Associate Professor of Textile Design overseeing the Dye and Print studio. Jennifer received her education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (B.F.A.) and at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (M.F.A.).

Angus’s teaching and research is based upon pattern’s narrative potential and its use as a tool of communication.  Patterned fabric stitched into clothing can communicate sex, age, ethnic identity, region, marital status and position with a community.  But pattern is not confined to a design upon cloth or a tissue paper guide used in dressmaking.  What is a pattern?  Basically it is anything in which repetition is inherent.

For the past five years Angus has been creating installations composed of insects pinned directly to a wall in repeating patterns which reference both textiles and wallpaper. She has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally including Australia where she was artist-in- residence at the Australian National University, in Canada at the Textile Museum of Canada as well as England, Japan and Spain. In the summer of 2006 she will create a site specific work in Darmstadt Germany for the Forest Art Path Laboratory project. Other upcoming projects include solo exhibitions at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison and Museum of Art and Design in New York City.

Angus has been the recipient of numerous awards including Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council grants. Three of her works are in the permanent collection of the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Her exhibition, “Goliathus Hercules” at the John Michael Kohler Art Center was held over by popular demand for an additional four months. The short film “A Touch of Weevil” documenting one of her installations was commissioned by Bravo - The Arts Network television.

Upcoming collaborative projects include work with Scottish composer Alistair MacDonald combining patterns both visual and auditory and monumentally sized prints with John Hitchcock, Associate Professor of Art, UW – Madison.