Historically, embroidery portrays more femininesubjects and cultural roles, but “Thread Baring” stretches this premise toreveal basic, perhaps even genetic, differences between males and females. The“machismo” of the Y chromosome fiercely asserts its presence in thisexhibition.
Prominent New York artist Adam Parker Smith presents several pieceswith violent overtones. In one of Smith’s disturbing but fascinatinginstallations, Bold as Love, 40 heads appear either attached to tall plywood sticks orscattered on the floor. The androgynous life-size skulls represent mythologicalcreatures, ethnicities and zombies, as well as realistic human faces, createdfrom felt, wood and pins.
Smith collaborated with high-school art students todepict this soft sculpture carnage. Closely studying each head reveals afascinating individual work of art despite the prevailing theme of decapitation.
Powerful images or sculptures confront viewers withevery piece. Paul Villinski’s wall hanging, Lament,uses found knit gloves, hand stitching, needles and an aluminum pack frame toconstruct a 15-foot pair of black wings. A miniature sculpture by Dave Cole, Kevlar Romper, restructures a Gulf Warbulletproof vest by cutting, sewing and hand-knitting it into infant’s clothingaccessorized with a tiny pair of shoes.
This unnerving exhibition juxtaposes masculine andfeminine identities with their predisposed sexual characteristics of aggressionand acquiescence. This dichotomy continues by contrasting the skillfulcraftsmanship particular to fiber art, or beautiful embroidery, against theuneasy references to brutality. “Thread Baring” presents exquisite examples ofmasculine stitchery that need to be seen. It also has offers an underlyingcontext suggesting that gender defines individual personalities and preferenceswith uncompromising inevitability.
