AbStranded: Fiber and Abstraction in Contemporary Art
Everson Museum of Art
Syracuse, New York
September 18, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Curated by Elizabeth Dunbar
AbStranded: Fiber and Abstraction in Contemporary Art features ten contemporary American artists—Polly Apfelbaum, Paolo Arao, Sanford Biggers, Samantha Bittman, Julia Bland, Rachel B. Hayes, Elana Herzog, Anne Lindberg, Sheila Pepe, and Sarah Zapata—who use fiber-based materials to investigate the complex lineage of abstraction. Utilizing a diverse variety of methods, styles, and forms, these artists uncover and co-opt textile traditions and material sources in order to re-assert their validity and relevance in an increasingly global-industrial culture. A prominent use of the hand looms large—through knitting, weaving, quilting, and more—and suggests an alternative mode of communication within today’s digital society. Together, the works reveal how artists employ the language of abstraction to speak about the intertwined histories and politics of craft, race, and gender.
AbStranded is made possible through a grant from The Coby Foundation, Ltd. Additional support provided by Bonnie and Gary Grossman and Laurel Moranz and John MacAllister.
