About the Book
By Gwendolyn Hustvedt
Beneath our feet flows a hidden world, one that is fragile, vital, and full of mystery.
In Groundwork, textile artist and professor Gwendolyn Hustvedt invites readers on a luminous journey into the underground. Through fifteen silk banners brought to life using the traditional Serti technique, Hustvedt merges art, ecology, and myth to reveal the unseen networks that sustain us, from Central Texas aquifers to ancient symbolic realms.
This rich visual and narrative collection explores root systems, mycelium webs, endangered species, sinkholes, fire-scarred stone, and the enduring power of snakes and eggs. Each piece meditates on sustainability, sacred water, and the subterranean layers of human consciousness, offering readers a deeply personal and ecological portrait of place.
Rooted in lunar creative cycles and crafted with environmentally conscious materials, Groundwork is more than an art book: it's a call to awareness, a tribute to what lies beneath, and an offering of care to a changing world.
Features & Details
- Primary Category: Arts & Photography Books
- Additional Categories Nature / Wildlife, Coffee Table Books
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Project Option: Large Format Landscape, 13×11 in, 33×28 cm
# of Pages: 38 -
Isbn
- Hardcover, Dust Jacket: 9781968606046
- Publish Date: Jun 29, 2025
- Language English
- Keywords silk painting, surface design, aquifers
About the Creator
I am a textile artist, educator, and writer based in San Marcos, Texas, where I teach at Texas State University and create from a home studio shaped by the rhythms of the San Marcos River and Edwards Aquifer. My artistic work explores what lies beneath the surface—both ecologically and symbolically—through Serti silk painting techniques that visualize aquifers, roots, and mythic underworlds. My book Groundwork: Art Honoring the Aquifers documents a series of fifteen silk banners created in rhythm with lunar cycles and attuned to the subtle interplay of water, stone, and myth. I also publish the Subsurface Design Journal, a twice-weekly newsletter reflecting on ritual, sustainability, and the creative process. My work integrates ancient symbols (especially from Minoan and Mediterranean traditions), sustainable textile practices, and seasonal archetypes. I believe art can be a form of divination—a way to listen to what the earth and the unconscious are trying to tell us.