Distant Mirrors
May 2 - June 8, 2019
ClampArt
Comprised of three large Jacquard tapestries from the Some People Tapestry Cycle, two monoprints from the Frieze series, and a selection of screen prints, Distant Mirrors explores notions of cultural conflict and the cyclical nature of human struggle. The exhibition is the second solo show of works by Aziz + Cucher (Anthony Aziz + Sammy Cucher). Fusing historical processes and contemporary imagery, Aziz + Cucher capture the collective sense of modern-day dysphoria in multilayered scenes of chaos, conflict, jubilation, industry, absurdity, and ambiguity.
Abdoulaye Konaté: Couleurs d’âme
May 3 - Jun 15, 2019
Blain|Southern Gallery
Couleurs d’âme (Soul Colours) is Malian artist Abdoulaye Konaté’s first U.S. solo exhibition of his new abstract work, accompanied by several examples of landmark earlier pieces that illustrate the artist’s progression over time towards purely abstract compositions. Widely recognized as one of West Africa’s preeminent artists, Konaté is known for compositions in dyed and woven Malian cotton that combine symbolic references and material associations, and balance global political and social reflections with a reference to his own local and cultural history.
The Site of Memory
Apr 29 - Jun 15, 2019
Lehmann Maupin
Organized with the artist’s estate, The Site of Memory marks Bucher’s first solo presentation since her landmark survey last year at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London, and her first with Lehmann Maupin. Heidi Bucher (b. 1926 Winterthur, Switzerland; d. 1993, Brunnen, Switzerland) is best known for her innovative use of latex to cast large-scale architectural features, including entire buildings. Bucher referred to these castings as “skinnings” or “moultings,” imbuing these captured spaces with animal or biological attributes.
Soft Territories
Curated by Carolina Arévalo
May 4 - June 23, 2019
Knockdown Center
Soft Territories is a group exhibition presenting works by Victoria Manganiello, Simón Sepúlveda, and Sarah Zapata, exploring the ways in which notions of movement, migration, and locality are expressed in contemporary textile practices. The warp and weft of the loom – the basic structure of textiles being composed of longitudinal and transverse components – echoes current critical thinking about verticality and horizontality in social and economic structures. In the artworks included, the intersection of the two planes of woven thread express ideas about politics, territories, technologies, and interactions, while enabling spaces of softness, warmth, and shelter.
Hand & I
Curated by Yulia Tikhonova
May 5 - July 14, 2019
Dorsky Gallery
Hand & I brings together nineteen artists who use the delicate medium of embroidery to address society’s most pressing issues. While the Hand patiently makes stitch after stitch— straight, backwards, stem, chain or blind—the I presides over a resounding call for resistance to inhumane social policy. These artists address the difficult problems of climate, race, gender, immigration, and the U.S. prison system—their needlework a cri de coeur for social justice. Small stitches tackling big problems is fundamental to the creativity and vision of the growing community of “craftivists” who deploy the panoply of domestic arts in the service of the disenfranchised. It is the singular durability and persistent visibility of embroidery that inspires the contemporary artists in this exhibition.
Ariadne Unraveling
May 23 - June 29, 2019
Asya Geisberg Gallery
Ariadne Unraveling is an exhibition of eight artists who work with weaving, tapestry, yarn and thread: Samantha Bittman, Liz Collins, Hannah Epstein (current Work in Progress resident), Desire Moheb-Zandi, Sophia Narrett, Arna Óttarsdóttir, Katarina Riesing, and Rachel Mica Weiss. Their work both deconstructs the woven medium and pushes it towards a multi-media approach, be it painting, sculpture, drawing, or installation.
Complement this month’s shows with these reads
Stitchcraft: An Embroidery Book of Simple Stitches and Peculiar Patterns
By Gayla Partridge
Gayla Partridge draws upon her knowledge of phrenology, anatomy, floral design, and Ouija to create deeply imaginative embroidery art. Through extraordinary, stylized photography and detailed close-ups of her designs, you will learn about Partridge’s sources of inspiration, technique, and modern twists on an age-old craft. In turn, let yourself be inspired by Partridge's intricate designs, from the anatomy of snakes to bountiful bouquets, and from Dia de Los Muertos to a threaded Virgin Mary, and make them your own.
The Shaman's Mirror : Visionary Art of the Huichol
By Hope MacLean
Using glowing colored yarns, the Huichol Indians of Mexico paint the mystical symbols of their culture—records of the visions and dreams of their shamans. Drawing on twenty years of ethnographic fieldwork, MacLean provides a look at the origins of these sacred offerings and their transformation into commercial art. She compares the artists' views with those of art dealers and government officials to show how yarn painters respond to market influences while still keeping their religious beliefs.
With this book, she uncovers a deep structure of visionary experience, rooted in Huichol concepts of soul-energy, and reveals its links to visionary experiences as described by other Uto-Aztecan and Mesoamerican cultures.