NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
By A Thread Puts a Contemporary Spin on
a Centuries-old Medium
Group show at the ICA features
subtly subversive works made with thread
January 2010, SAN JOSE, CA - The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art
(ICA) is pleased to
present
By A Thread, an exhibition of artwork by emerging
and mid-career Bay Area artists who
create unexpectedly nostalgic, and poetic works using thread as
their primary medium.
By A
Thread will be exhibited in the ICA's Main Gallery from February 6 through May
15, 2010.
The show includes work from artists Jody Alexander, Susan
Taber Avila, Diem Chau, Lauren
DiCioccio, Robin Hill, Nina Katchadourian, Lisa
Kokin, Beili Liu, Katie Lewis, Emil Lukas, Victoria
May, Ali Naschke-Messing,
Lisa Solomon, Habi Tabatabai, Nicola Vruwink, and Allison Watkins.
An opening
reception will be held at the ICA on Friday, February 5 from 6pm to 8pm. A panel
discussion with the artists will take place at the ICA on Thursday, February
11, from 7pm to 9pm.
"By a Thread is not an exhibition about precise or technically proficient sewing,
embroidery or any other form of needlework," says Cathy Kimball, ICA Executive Director.
"Rather, it is an exhibition featuring contemporary art that uses thread as a medium to
communicate the ideas, visions, and conceptual explorations of the participating artists.
In many cases, the artists included in the exhibition have found that the ubiquitous and
centuries-old process of stitching can be used in innovative ways to create something
new," explains Kimball. Thus, the exhibition will feature the work of artists who give fresh
consideration to the value and function of traditional handiwork. The show will include
small two-dimensional pieces and large-scale installations, as well as a wide variety of
sculptural works.
Also opening on February
6th in the ICA's Cardinale Project Room and running through
April 3, 2010, Ted Fullwood: Energy Machines - a solo exhibition of fiber works created by
San
Jose-based artist Ted Fullwood who works in a variety of media including
clay and mosaic.
Fullwood's abstract woven
sculptural forms made from chenille stems - also known as pipe
cleaners, exhibit rich color palettes, subtle
variations, and complex textures. From
February 6
through May 15, Night Moves, after-dark programming in the
ICA's front windows presents Cat
Mazza's The
Mill Series. Mazza's work
combines craft with digital media to explore the overlaps
between textiles,
technology and labor. Created with software that translates video
pixels into
stitch work, The Mill Series animates
footage of factories that once flourished during the
American industrial
revolution.
By A Thread
is supported in part by a generous grant from the Myra Reinhard Family
Foundation. The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art gratefully acknowledges
support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Andy Warhol
Foundation for the Visual Arts, Adobe Systems Incorporated, and members of the
ICA. The ICA is supported in part by a
Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San Jose and by a grant from Arts
Council Silicon Valley, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the
California Arts Council.
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is an
energetic art space located in downtown San Jose dedicated to making
contemporary art accessible and exciting to audiences of all ages and
backgrounds. The ICA has long been committed
to presenting exhibitions that include visually compelling and conceptually
challenging contemporary art, as well as a variety of educational programs
intended to help our audiences reflect upon these works. Exhibitions
are presented in three galleries and the space is activated by opening
receptions, South First Friday gallery walks, after-dark programming in the
front windows, panel discussions, printmaking workshops, brown bag lunches and
impromptu conversations in the galleries. The ICA is a member-supported,
non-profit organization. Admission
to the gallery is free.
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