Matson’s fabric works unite painterly abstraction, digital technology and textile tactility

Working within a renewed interest in craft practices, Los Angeles–based artist Christy Matson (born 1979) creates woven pictures that explore memory and imagination through the layered history of textile production, while advocating for issues surrounding sustainability. Her abstract, constantly evolving compositions resemble paintings, and yet they are deeply rooted in textile history. Using a digital jacquard loom together with the language of historic weaving techniques, Matson honors the centuries-old craft while also embracing a new approach to technology. Her works allow viewers to engage with textiles of the past in thoughtful, innovative ways. A continuation of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Currents series, which highlights new trends in contemporary art, this volume brings together nearly 50 of Matson’s most recent works from the last five years, and is the first publication to explore Matson's wide-ranging textile art.

Visual artist(s): Christy Matson
Foreword by: Marcelle Polednik
Text by: Su Wu