Bringing stars down to earth

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 20

Bringing stars down to earth

By

ASHLEY CAMPBELL

X When you wish upon a w. star ... you may well be “ standing on top of one of Dana Tatom’s rugs.

£ The man behind “The X Amazing Magic Carpet •* Show,” at present showing X at the C.S.A. Gallery, has »• blurred the distinction beX I tween rugs and wall hang- — ings. His carpets, of many different shapes, sizes and « shades, are simply made “ to be enjoyed. ». “I try and make most of •my rugs either/or,” TaX tom says. "Obviously •- some are going to stretch XXmore to the floor, and — some are more likely to X be better on the wall, but

they are made for both.”

Tatom began making carpets only last year. He got into the craft, he says, out of “desperation.” Having trained as a footwear designer, and previously having exhibited paintings and drawings, Tatom was looking for a job. Avon Craft, a rug and craft business, became available, and Tatom leapt at the chance. The previous owner stayed for a month to show Tatom the ropes, and from then he has never looked back. Tatom maintains that it is not all that difficult to make the rugs. Once you

have got the hang of the machinery, it is pretty straightforward, he says.

With one craftsman to help make the rugs, much of Tatom’s time is spent designing them. “I take up colours and designs that become interesting at a time, and try and put them in a rug, in a form that people can accept.” One of his rugs, which he calls “The Shooting Star,” was originally based on a fabric design. After looking at the halfmade rug, Tatom decided it needed a bit of brightening up, and so the star was born.

While he thinks up most of the designs and colour schemes himself, he is open to suggestion.

One customer came in with a patterned pillow case, and said he wanted a rug in those particular colours for his bedroom. “We took the case down to the dyer, and had the colours made up, then made the rug in the colours he wanted.”

Contrasting colours are not the only feature of Tatom’s rugs. Many also combine different textures, to add a little tactile interest.

“I hope that people will touch them, because they are nice to touch,” Tatom says. “The first thing that a lot of people do is push their fingers right d6wn into them.”

Some of Tatom’s large rugs may seem expensive, at approximately $lOOO, but he says people are

prepared to pay that much for something to brighten up their home or office. The large ones can also take about 20 hours to make, which helps explain the price. Not all of the rugs in the show are brightly patterned. Some are eminently practical — just the sort of rug someone

would want for their lounge. These are the ones Tatom expects will sell easily. But the patterned ones are there for a reason — they are visually exciting, and fun. “They’ll remember the brightly coloured ones, even though they know they can’t have them in their own homes.”