Using rope, yarn, clay, and wire, this group of 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.

While the means of production vary tremendously for each artist featured in A Beautiful Mess, they find commonality in their pursuit to upheave the status quo. By bringing their unique stories to the forefront, these artists draw from potent source material to create sculptures and installations staggering in beauty and conceptual backing. As artist Kira Dominguez Hultgren puts it, “weaving is about strange combinations.” Whether by utilizing non-traditional materials, tapping into personal memories, or untangling complex histories, the artists in A Beautiful Mess strive to revolutionize a previously marginalized genre.

Participating Artists: Windy Chien, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Dana Hemenway, Kira Dominguez Hultgren, dani lopez, Hannah Perrine Mode, Liz Robb, Meghan Shimek, Lisa Solomon, Katrina Sánchez Standfield, and Jacqueline Surdell

A Beautiful Mess: Weavers & Knotters of the Vanguard was organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA

Support for this exhibition is provided by the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation, and the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department.