'Shag: Provocative Textiles' at 509 Third Ave. S. through Nov. 29
Textile art can’t help but insinuate our private lives. Though contemporary artists continue to diversify the medium, intimate associations with the body and home are inevitable when materials like fabric and thread are involved. “Shag: Provocative Textiles” pushes these associations into the erotic realm, showcasing the work of contemporary artists who explore sexuality and desire through textile-based media.
Presented by the Nashville Scene and curated by the magazine’s arts editor, Laura Hutson Hunter, the exhibition is the second installment of the team’s Adult Contemporary Series, a trio of art exhibitions aimed at bringing conversations about sexuality into public discourse. While the first exhibition, “Nerve,” focused on female desire, “Shag” subverts the homey connotations of textiles to tease out new understandings of adult topics, from sexual politics, power and desire, to erotic pleasure and ritual. From knit objects and woven tapestries, to photographs, mixed-media sculpture and embroidery, the exhibition ranges from overtly provocative to subtly suggestive.
“Textile art is punk rock to me,” Hunter said in a phone interview. “...it’s a kind of marginalized subculture in the art world, and its associations with craft give it an easily subversive, even deviant-like quality within the context of sexuality.”
Artists in the show include Elijah Burgher, Jessica Campbell, Elise Drake, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Alicia Henry, Shannon Cartier Lucy, Sophia Narrett, Katarina Riesing, Erin M. Riley, Sal Salandra, Linnéa Sjöberg, Chiffon Thomas, and Vadis Turner.
“Shag” is on view by appointment only. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.shagartshow.com.