Woven Portals: An exploration of art and politics through research informed practice
Date
2023
Authors
Osaki, Heidi
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
"Fliers, Cyborg self portrait, and Banner are each woven portals that explore three different political objects as textiles. Using research informed artist practice, each portal draws upon a rich collection of history, information, and connotations that are both artistic, personal, and political and interprets them through cloth. Themes explored include woven interpretations of the material infrastructure (staples and paperclips) required for the dissemination of politics (Fliers), the potentiality and drawbacks of cyborg identities in relation to myself and weaving technology (Cyborg self portrait), and the intersection of feminine craft and political textiles (Banner). The works are united in their materiality as woven textiles and share themes of personal and globalized notions of labor, the feminine craft of weaving, and the ability of cloth to hold memory. A Marxist analysis of art as a social and material object that is completely in interaction with the world, rather than an isolated aesthetic musing is considered throughout. This project emphasizes the potential of weaving as an art form remarkably compatible with politics and an exciting way to express and consider political and artistic ideas. "
Description
Keywords
art, politics, weaving, textile, liberation