AbStranded: Fiber and Abstraction in Contemporary Art
September 18, 2021 thru January 2, 2022
Curated by Elizabeth Dunbar
Artists:
Polly Apfelbaum
Paolo Arao
Sanford Biggers
Samantha Bittman
Julia Bland
Rachel B. Hayes
Elana Herzog
Anne Lindberg
Sheila Pepe
Sarah Zapata
AbStranded features ten contemporary American artists 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.