Textile artists explore queer identity in “Embodied Material” at Fresh Eye Gallery

 

Soph Munic returned from Tennessee with an idea. It was the summer of 2022, and they had just spent two weeks at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, studying queer textile theory and exploring methods of felting, weaving, and quilting. 

“There were two things from the workshop that stuck with me – reading theory as a group in our workshop, and sharing a communal space for creating and emoting,” said Munic. “I wanted to continue those practices in my own community.” 

Munic applied for and received funding through an Early-Career Artist Research & Development Grant from Forecast Public Art and brought together a reading group of queer artists working in textiles in Minnesota. The reading group took on the name “Embodied Material,” and the 10 participating artists met four times over the course of the spring, simultaneously creating new work inspired by their reading. (Nine are included in this exhibition, as one chose not to include any work in the show.) 

The group’s work is on view now through July 29 at Fresh Eye Gallery in Minneapolis, in a textile art exhibition also titled Embodied Material, curated by Munic. 

"We were excited to expand our relationship with Soph Munic with this project," said Fresh Eye's Lauren Hughes and Jes Reyes. "We initially connected with Soph through our Eye to Eye exhibition last year and continued to partner with them at Fresh Eye Arts. Embodied Material aligns with our goals to create an inclusive community space as it is an opportunity for queer textile artists to reflect, create, and show their work."

 

Embodied Material installation view. On the floor: Jessica Kitzman, Window, found textiles on curtain; and I'm Fine & Unfit, soft sculptures using found textiles and domestic objects.

 

"Textiles are a vessel for constructing identity"

What is unique about textile when it comes to expressing ideas about identity? For Munic, working in the medium has felt so intuitive that it can be hard to define. 

“Textiles are a vessel for constructing identity. As a queer person, you often need to construct your own forms to feel at home or seen in your body,” said Munic. “There’s something about taking materials and practices from the past to create something new that feels inherently queer to me.”

Many of the pieces in the show make direct reference to a body, and to a process of ongoing exploration and creation that involves found material. Two sculptures by Jessica Kitzman sit in the middle of the gallery, fashioned in part out of repurposed clothing. Leather gloves cascade down the side of a trunk-like structure, reaching across the floor. A deconstructed denim jacket drapes over the other side. A zipper can’t quite close, sequined material bursting out. 

Even when no body is there, it’s easy to picture a person – sliding into the gloves, contracting to close the zipper that can’t be closed, or somersaulting into the denim jacket. 

 

Arnée Martin, OK Gentrifier, OK Colonizer, Acrylic yarn on pegboard.

 

Repurposing tradition to invent a new future

In addition to repurposing existing materials, many of the artists in Embodied Material utilize age-old techniques like weaving, tatting, and cross stitch to discuss modernity and look toward a future not confined by tradition, while at the same time acknowledging history. 

“There were queer people inventing new futures for themselves decades ago, eons ago,” said Munic. “When we’re thinking about ourselves as textile artists, how are we taking craft practices that have been around for a long time and using them to articulate our identities and queerness?”

In the gallery, Trans Flag (maker unknown, circa 19th century or 1970s) by Riley Kleve draws on the forms of 1970s macrame wall hangings and the distinctively shaped banners carried by early suffragettes. It displays the colors of the trans flag to, as the artist says, “insist on a past, present, and future for trans people.” 

Nora Rickey forms the words “Queer Butch Fag” in tatted lace for a piece entitled Don’t Say Gay, Say ___. Artist Arnée Martin’s two large, cross-stitched boards read "ok gentrifier" and "ok colonizer." The artist writes that, “Cross stitch is strongly connected to femininity and domesticity, areas of our society that Black women and femmes are often excluded from … By using this medium, I can reconcile the performance Black women and femmes have to endure to survive and/or thrive in American society.” 

 

Books from the Embodied Material reading group on display in the gallery. Photo by the author.

 

Building community through ‘Embodied Material’

On the wall next to each piece, below didactics and artist statements, are photocopied pages from readings the group discussed, complete with annotations and highlighted passages. Reading over the artist’s notes gives the viewer insight into ideas that resonated with the artist and informed their work. It’s a unique look into their inspiration, and calls to mind an academic setting, which these artists recreated (and subverted) in a sense through their reading group. 

 “Oftentimes in academia, to have an opinion about a theory, we’re supposed to say why we think it’s right or wrong,” said Munic. “A big theme we kept coming back to was how these ideas made us feel.”

Embodied Material participants created their own space for engaging in discussion, and the corresponding show extends that opportunity to viewers. Books that the group read excerpts from are shelved on one of the gallery walls for visitors to peruse. Another piece by Kleve is a series of felted pins – viewers can rename any of the pins, give them a new gender, a new set of pronouns, or other descriptors or feelings the pin can take on and convey for its wearer. 

Another aspect of the Embodied Material group that has been particularly meaningful for Munic is the opportunity to discuss and make work in a community of fellow queer artists. 

“It’s been so nourishing to have this space where queer people can come together and discuss what makes them feel most alive – including our artistic practices and textile art,” said Munic, who also hosts a monthly queer open studio with Curiosity Studio. “We weren’t just talking about the exhibition, but about our daily lives as queer people. Having community spaces where I’m able to share and hear from others around me about our experiences – it’s a huge support system, and that’s really special.”

Embodied Material has plans to continue their reading discussions and showing more work next year, as Munic teases they have recently received some good news. ◼︎

 

Heather MacKenzie, Soft Horizons, Cotton, wool, holographic curling ribbon, handwoven on a TC2 loom.

Embodied Material is on view through July 29 at Fresh Eye Gallery, 4238 Nicollet Ave S, Minneapolis. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, 11 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm. You can read more about the project on Soph Munic's website.

Banner image: Nora Rickey, Queerphoria (detail), embroidery on hanky. All photos courtesy of the gallery unless otherwise noted.

---

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.