Social Fabric

Seven contemporary artists confront the problems of mass production and consumption through fiber-based art. Textiles reflect personal tastes and cultural identifications, but they also carry implications about labor, global commerce, and sustainability. The emerging and mid-career American artists represented in this exhibition use fabric in their art as a conduit to question global economic and labor systems. Collaborations with art viewers and non-artists expand notions of single authorship; the Counterfeit Crochet Project by Stephanie Syjuco, for example, enlists the work of participants around the world to make crocheted imitations of designer handbags and accessories.