Gallery Hopping
Exploring Textile Boundaries, New York Fall 2024
Objects: USA 2024 at R & Company and Crafting Topographies at Salon Design offer distinct perspectives on the fiber art world—one experimental, the other deeply rooted in heritage. I had the chance to take in both shows during my recent trip to New York.
Objects: USA 2024 at R & Company
The first stop was Objects: USA 2024 at R & Company. Featuring nearly 100 pieces by 55 visionary makers, this survey exhibition blurs the lines between fine art, craft, and design. Naturally, my attention was drawn to the textile- and pattern-related pieces, and there was so much to enjoy. Textiles were reimagined as sculptural and narrative forms, with artists like Liam Lee, whose Stool 03 and Wally Dion’s Bison Quilt showcased how fabric can transcend surface design to become something more conceptual. The show explored textiles as carriers of personal, cultural, and environmental stories, prompting you to think about fabric in entirely new ways.
Liam Lee - Stool 03, 2024
Merino wool and poplar plywood
Stool 03 detail
Bison Quilt detail
Wally Dion - Bison Quilt, 2023
Fabric and copper
The Cars That ate Los Angeles detail
Lilah Rose - The Cars That ate Los Angeles, 2023
Satin, muslin, fabric dye, foam, and wood
Jordan Nassar - Is the sky meant to be wide open?, 2024
Cotton on cotton
Misha Kahn - Harvest Moon, 2023
Wool, polyester, nylon, and stainless steel
Dee Clements - Grotesque Flowers; On the Pressure to be Seen, 2024
Dyed reed, gouache, polyurethane, and ceramic
Color Wave detail
Venancio Aragon - Color Wave, 2024
Wool and mohair
Coulter Fussell - His & Hers Diptych, 2024
Repurposed textiles
His & Hers Diptych detail
Justin Favela - Valle de México Desde el Tepeyac, After José María Velasco (1908), 2024
Paper, glue, and board
Nicole McLaughlin - Agua; Sangre de Vida, 2023
Ceramic, tencel, and natural indigo
Layla Klinger - Sea, Swallow Me, 2024
Electroluminescent wire
Tribeca Texture Interlude
On the way to the next gallery, I spotted one of my favorite genres of found pattern: layers of peeling paint in compelling colors! A rusted iron facade on one of Tribeca’s side streets, with its weathered, worn-down textures felt like found art.
Crafting Topographies at Salon Design
The next visit was to Salon Design’s Crafting Topographies, which offered a different take on textile art, focusing on heritage and craftsmanship. The art was conceived by Brinda Dudhat of Morii Design, a studio that collaborates with over 80 female artisans across rural India to bring the pieces to life. These artisans use traditional techniques like Rabari, Jat, and Sujni embroidery, each one showcasing stunning levels of detail that reflect the skill and care involved in preserving these methods.
I found myself indulging in one of my favorite textile appreciation activities: studying a piece up close to puzzle out how it was made. The layered techniques on display were a joy to examine, serving as a beautiful reminder of the importance of keeping these time-honored crafts alive in a fast-moving world.
Mannar
Sahstrapad
Nelavarna
Daob
Daob
Dariya-e-Zindagi
Kalindi
Kalindi detail
Objects: USA 2024 and Crafting Topographies offered contrasting perspectives—one sees fiber as an experimental and conceptual medium, while the other celebrates the precision and tradition of time-honored craftsmanship. Both exhibitions highlighted how textiles can tell stories that connect us to culture, history, and the future.
Thanks to fiber artist and friend Jessica Green of JG Switzer for being my Tribica gallery guide!