1/2 Flex by the Rag Rug Study Group
1/2 Flex is a three-day exhibition (6-8 September) hosted by the Rag Rug Study Group that includes fresh-off-the-loom rag rugs by New York-based artists Mariah Smith and Mae Colburn and invited guest artist, Francesca Martinazzi from Italy. All three use scraps of worn, surplus and discarded fabric to create complex, meaningful compositions that refer to this medium’s domestic function while examining its aesthetic and narrative possibilities.
Image and image above: Mariah Smith, 7 Rugs.
The exhibition title, combining the terms 1.5-bedroom and 2-bedroom flex, refers to the flexible, improvised nature of NYC apartment living. If an apartment can be transformed from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom, why can’t a 1.5-bedroom become a gallery? For this exhibition, RRSG is transforming Smith’s bedroom into an exhibition space to create a viewing environment and discursive context specific to this ‘flexible medium’ of rag rugs. ‘Flexible medium’ is Martinazzi’s interpretation of the title, ‘1/2 Flex,’ translated from English to Italian to English. She points out that this interpretation also evokes Anni Albers’ phrase, ‘pliable plane.’
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The exhibition title, combining the terms 1.5-bedroom and 2-bedroom flex, refers to the flexible, improvised nature of NYC apartment living. If an apartment can be transformed from a 1-bedroom to a 2-bedroom, why can’t a 1.5-bedroom become a gallery? For this exhibition, RRSG is transforming Smith’s bedroom into an exhibition space to create a viewing environment and discursive context specific to this ‘flexible medium’ of rag rugs. ‘Flexible medium’ is Martinazzi’s interpretation of the title, ‘1/2 Flex,’ translated from English to Italian to English. She points out that this interpretation also evokes Anni Albers’ phrase, ‘pliable plane.’
Want to read more of this article?
We are proud to be a subscriber-funded publication with members in 185 countries. We know our readership is passionate about textiles, so we invite you to help us preserve and promote the stories, memories, and histories that fabric holds. Your support allows us to publish our magazine, and also ‘what's on’ information, and subscription interviews, reviews, and long-read articles in our online blog.
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? CLICK HERE TO ACCESS CONTENT
OR...to continue reading….
*Magazine subscribers automatically get free access to all our online content. We send the access code by email with the publication of each issue. You will also find it on the envelope containing your magazine. Please note the access code changes every issue.*