Exhibition Tour: A Beautiful Mess (Weavers and Potters of the Vanguard)

1601 Civic Drive,Walnut Creek CA 94596

02 June, 2021

Description

Join us for an in-person curator tour of the exhibition "A Beautiful Mess", now reopened at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek. From micro artworks the size of a hand to mammoth room-sized installations, the national roster of women artists in A Beautiful Mess pushes the boundaries of their textile-based medium. Using rope, yarn, clay and wire, these conceptual artists knot and twist their media into sculptures that range from minimal and hyper-organized to utter pandemonium. They explore personal and political ideals — order and chaos to the extreme — and freely break the rules to create their beautiful artworks. Serious about making a strong cultural and intellectual impact, this group deftly weaves their message into works that demonstrate extraordinary technical skill. Artists include: Windy Chien, Kira Dominguez Hultgren, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Dana Hemenway, Dani Lopez, Hannah Perrine Mode, Liz Robb, Katrina Sánchez Standfield, Meghan Shimek, Lisa Solomon and Jacqueline Surdell. Safety Measures: The Bedford Gallery requires protective face masks covering the nose, mouth and chin for visitors and staff while at the gallery. Transactions (e.g., merchandise sales) must be made using a credit card. Daily wellness checks will be conducted for staff. Credits: Top: Lisa Solomon, Senninbari [1000 stitch knot belt] (detail) installed at Walter Maciel Gallery, 2016, hand dyed cotton rope, 122 x 299 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Walter Maciel Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Instagram handle: @lisasolomon. Bottom: Katrina Sánchez Standfield, Waiting for Tomorrow, 2021, machine knitted yarn, fiberfill, 40 x 40 x 4 inches. Courtesy of Katrina Sánchez Standfield. Instagram handle: @fiberess. Windy Chien, Circuit Board (detail), 2021, rope, 24k gold vintage, Japanese thread, synthetic chainette, 53 x 96 inches. Courtesy of Windy Chien. Instagram handle: @windychien. Jacqueline Surdell, Naturally Nasty Goes Dark (at installation), 2018, rope, metal, acrylic, 72 x 120 inches. Courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Instagram handle: @jacquelinesurdell.