No Strings Attached
October 3 to 25, 2008
Erin Boniferro
Emilie O’Brien
Sandra Lopuch & Benjamin Edmiston
Curated by Gallery Atsui
In October 2008, Gallery Atsui presented No Strings Attached, a group exhibition featuring Erin Boniferro, Emilie O’ Brien, and a collaborative work from Benjamin Edmiston and Sandra Lopuch.
This loosely woven exhibition continues to examine and question the role of textile art or fiber art. Fibre Art is an evolving art form that is sensual, engaging and accessible to both the public and highly educated art connoisseurs. And its popularity is at an all-time high.
The objects in the exhibition can be classified as fibre art, textile art, women’s work, mixed-media art, craft, high art, or all of the above. The answer depends on whom you talk to, since it is ultimately the artist, audience, critic or curator who defines the field of textile art.
Fibre art is defined as art that is made using flexible, linear materials and/or constructed using textile techniques such as stitching, weaving, dyeing, embroidering, etc. Fibre art objects may be two- or three-dimensional and the materials used may be natural, such as wool, silk, cotton, twigs and human hair, or man-made, such as plastics and metallic wire.
This exhibition examines all four artist’s approach to their specific medium. Erin Boniferro uses sewing as a form of drawing while Emilie O’Brien works in film incorporating her sculptures. Sandra Lopuch and Benjamin Edmiston work collaboratively, with Sandra using textile work to colour Benjamin’s illustrations.