The Unraveling, cotton knit and polyester and cotton fabric, 2017
13FOREST Gallery is pleased to present The Unraveling, an installation by fiber artist Adrienne Sloane, on view January 18 to February 7, 2020. This temporary installation will culminate with a performance by Sloane and a reception on Sunday, February 2 from 4-6 pm.
Sloane was moved to create The Unraveling in the wake of the 2016 election, as a response to the shocking actions of the Trump administration. The installation consists of a hand-knitted American flag that hangs in front of a copy of the United States constitution printed on fabric. Sloane has been performing a series of “unravelings” since she developed the installation, slowly pulling apart her knitted flag to reveal the constitution underneath. She is committed to continue unraveling the flag in public performances until President Trump has been removed from office, or until there is no flag left. Recently featured as the centerfold in Artscope magazine, Sloane had this to say of her ongoing project:
As I listen to the news while in my studio, I often find myself responding viscerally and through my art to the political landscape of the day. Since the 2016 election, the news has been dominated by an unorthodox administration that I see as undermining our democracy, national unity and the values we stand for as Americans...Set against the backdrop of the constitution, I will continue to unravel this piece as long as I continue to see our civil and political rights eroding under the current administration.
As Congress prepares to begin the impeachment trial of President Trump, the installation of The Unraveling at 13FOREST offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on the state of our national identity. Sloane intends not only to comment on the current political climate with The Unraveling, but to challenge her viewers to take action against the forces dismantling American democracy and values. Her installation includes a postcard writing campaign designed to encourage people to contact their elected representatives. Sloane's politically engaged knitted art belongs to a long history of fiber arts and craft used in political protest and institutional critique. In an article featuring The Unraveling in WBUR's the ARTery, Society of Arts + Crafts executive director Brigitte Martin explained that "Sloane is creating fine art work that uplifts a lineage of female artists who re-situated knitting — a skill often diminished as domestic and feminine — into piercing political commentary." Craftivist Betsy Greer expands on similar ideas in her article "Crafting Understanding: Addressing Political Issues Through Stitch," which places Sloane's work in context with other politically active contemporary fiber artists.
Sloane's powerful and poignant work has been acclaimed by many arts institutions, resonating with audiences throughout New England. The Unraveling has been featured by the Society of Arts + Crafts, the Fuller Craft Museum, the New Bedford Art Museum, and the Rockland Center for the Arts in West Nyack, New York. After 13FOREST Gallery's exhibition of The Unraveling, the piece will be installed in the Massachusetts State House in Senator Will Brownsberger's office, with a public unraveling and reception on Tuesday, February 18 from 3-5 pm.
Adrienne Sloane next to The Unraveling (Courtesy Society of Arts + Crafts)