CIA Recent Acquisitions

The Chicago Art Institute is displaying recent textile acquisitions through September 5, 2016. The exhibition includes both contemporary and historical works. Here are a few of the pieces I found most interesting:

Michael Olszewski's layered structures are reminiscent of scrapbook pages, combining text and text references with bits of cloth on knitted grounds.

Michael Olszewski, The Clearing, 2008

Francisco Toledo combines humor and pattern in this lazer-cut felt puzzle.

Francisco Toledo. Gusanos (Worms), 2013.

Lissy Funk embroiders mysterious letter-like symbols over landscape topography:

Lissy Funk, 1977

Of course, I'm drawn to the work that references text, includes pattern, and entices the viewer with ambiguous imagery that seems just outside my understanding.

RESIST

Printing words that have multiple meanings allows this work to be personalized by the viewer; people read and understand according to their own context. In some cases, RESIST can mean outright protest, pushing back against perceived injustices in aggressive ways. RESIST can also indicate a passive, non-violent method for change. You choose.

Next Life...Installation 1

The impact of the fashion industry on our environment has been a subject of much research and protest. I've followed the discussion with mixed feelings. Yes, we buy, wear, and throw away too many clothes. And yes, updating our wardrobe to reflect our identity is also important. Many creatives are finding ways to recycle, and more people are deciding to buy less, and wear longer.

I'm creating a body of work that explores the imprint of apparel on both the environment and our selves. Following the idea of using the clothing as a weed barrier, this first installation suggests the ways our culture is divided by race. After some time, there will be a pattern of dead vegetation left under the cloth.