tufting gun tapestries
The project is centered around tufting, an ancient carpet-making technique, reimagined with contemporary equipment - primarily tufting guns which shoots yarn through a fabric membrane. We also practiced natural dying processes (indigo, turmeric, cochineal, kola nut, onion skin and hibiscus flowers) to colour the yarn used in the tapestry. Students from the Material Institue used the tufting guns to create their own works as well as contributing to tufting a vast cotton tent structure.
We traveled from New Orleans to Chicago with the work where it was installed at the Logan Center.
The exhibition included the large tufted tapestry, a collaborative soundtrack composed using field recordings made while doing the proccesses, photography, equipment and the work of students from the Material Institute.
Curated by Yesomi Umolu, Katja Rivera & Alyssa Brubaker. Made possible by support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, UChicago Urban Architecture Initiative, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and friends of the Logan Center, and is co-funded by MONA (Museum of Old and New Art).
September 13–October 27, 2019.
