Textile Center announces

a new exhibition in the Joan Mondale Gallery

CREEPY CRAWLY:

An entomological investigation of textile pattern

Artist Jennifer Angus

March 6 - May 16, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, March 6

Jennifer Angus' whimsical, provocative exhibition features thousands of real insects pinned directly to Textile Center's gallery walls in continuous patterns that reference familiar textiles. Pushing the boundaries of fiber art, this wallpaper-like installation envelopes the viewer in a push-pull of attraction to the beautiful surface design and revulsion at the creepy crawlies.

Artist Jennifer Angus is a professor in the Design Studies department at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She received a BFA at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jennifer has exhibited her work internationally including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and Spain. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and Wisconsin Arts Board grants. Her exhibition A Terrible Beauty at the Textile Museum of Canada was selected as "Exhibition of the Year" by the Ontario Association of Art Galleries in 2006. www.jenniferangus.com

"When viewers enter one of my installations, they are greeted with something they think they know, that is, a patterned wallpaper which could be in anyone's home. Upon closer examination, one discovers that it is entirely made up of insects. A tension is created by the beauty one observes in the pattern and the apprehension we feel toward insects. I know very few people who welcome insects into their home. In fact, we have a certain hysteria about them. Culturally, insects are a sign of dirtiness and disease. My work explores ideas of home and comfort. It alludes to the unseen world of dust mites, germs and bacteria, both friendly and not.

Ultimately, I am attempting to create a multilayered work in which pattern is the vehicle. My work is dependent upon the supposition that there is a cultural understanding of pattern. That understanding provides a framework or potential for a narrative.

The insects I use are farmed or collected by local indigenous peoples providing them a livelihood. Since most of these species come from a rain forest environment, the people collecting will not cut down the jungle which provides their livelihood. It is ecologically sound. They are a renewable resource."

--excerpted from Jennifer Angus' Artist Statement

About Textile Center

Textile Center is unique as America's only national center for fiber art. Now in its 21st year, it was originally formed by a group of fiber artists and arts patrons desiring a place to come together and celebrate the region's vibrant textile community. Fiber art encompasses a wide range of forms, both creative and crafted, including weaving, quilting, knitting, sewing, dyeing, felting, needlework, lace making, basketry, beading, soft sculpture and multi-media pieces.

The community resources of Textile Center include classes for all ages and skill levels, exceptional fiber art exhibitions, an artisan shop, professional-grade dye lab, natural dye garden, and the largest circulating textile library in the country. The facility serves as a hub where people come together to create, learn, share, explore, and be inspired by fiber art.

Textile Center's mission is to honor textile traditions and promote excellence and innovation in fiber arts.

GALLERY AND SHOP HOURS

Monday - Thursday 10 am - 7 pm

Friday - Saturday 12 ? 5 pm

Free and Open to the Public

Thank You

Exhibitions are supported in part with funds from the Joan Mondale Endowment.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Textile Center | 612-436-0464 | info@textilecentermn.org | http://www.textilecentermn.org

3000 University Ave SE * Minneapolis, MN 55414