Rope, knots and splicing have been important elements in my work from the very earliest stages. Consequently, I have used fids as the tools they were designed for and as sculptural objects within the individual pieces of art.
Untitled (Splicing Tool), 12" H. x 4.5" W. x 4.5" D., Wood and steel, ©1995
A fid is a conical shaped tool or tapered pin made of wood, steel, or a combination of the two, that is used to splice rope. Fids are used to pry or hold open knots or separate strands (lays) of rope when splicing.
Untitled (Fid), 78" H. x 60" W. x 8" D., Encaustic on wood with objects, ©2009
I used the wood and steel fid pictured in Untitled (Fid) 2009 to splice and weave the rope net for the piece. The fid then occupied the shelf below the net.
Untitled (Fid), Detail, 78" H. x 60" W. x 8" D., Encaustic on wood with objects, ©2009
Untitled (Splicer), 14" H. x 4" W. x 4" D., Wood and steel, ©1995
Untitled (Breviary and Fid), 5" H. x 12" W. x 12" D., Wood, steel and objects, ©2013
In Untitled (Breviary and Fid) from 2013, the fid is used to gently separate the pages and point to the text of the breviary rather than forcefully pry open a knot or the lays of a rope.
Untitled (Breviary and Fid), Detail, 5" H. x 12" W. x 12" D., Wood, steel and objects, ©2013