BROOKLYN, NY – 440 Gallery is pleased to present I See You Falling Out of Love with Me, the inaugural solo exhibition by fiber artist Juliet Martin. Autobiographically driven, Martin addresses quirky and very personal issues of love and loss through a series of mixed-media works. Using materials and approaches that are not often associated together, Martin combines her love of hand-crafted fiber arts such as spinning and weaving, with traditional drawing and painting techniques. Tapestries, pillows and dolls are joined together to create vivid texturally-embellished forms that give Martin a way to tell a visual narrative.
Martin’s sculptural pieces are infused with universal themes of heartbreak. “These visual memoirs may not be totally factual, but they are always real to me,” says Martin. “Erratic, almost helpless, tumbling figures convey the unease and discomfort I had while experiencing my partner falling out of love with me. I chose to blend images of skulls with drawings of vulnerable bodies as a way to protect my heart from the harsh sadness of losing someone I cared for. Weaving, often thought of as a repetitive process rather than an emotional one, is the base that holds the work together.”
A keynote piece is Unraveled, an abstract tapestry constructed with allusions to a fantasy landscape or playground. Drawings of depressed-looking bodies (inkjet prints on fabric) cascade downward to reflect the duress of rocky relationships. Elsewhere, Martin’s hand-spun yarn is sewn into gestures that become an impassioned riptide. Images reminiscent of wheels are appliqued on to the surface and begin to echo figures falling through space—are we sensing the physical motion of a dying romance or something else?
Martin’s fascination with fiber as both a technique and a symbolic presence comes through in these pieces that are also slyly humorous. Martin’s materials are often woven out of anguish. Her painted pillows and dolls, while innocent upon first glance, reveal themselves to be as deceptive as unrequited love. It is when soft and sweet turns uncomfortable, such as when that childhood toy becomes scary, that is the very real nightmare for Martin.
Named by Artsy in 2022 as one of the “Women Artists to Watch,” Juliet Martin has been part of the weaving community for more than ten years. Her solo shows include Ivy Brown Gallery, New York City; Chashama, New York City; Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY; and Saori Kaikan Gallery, Osaka, Japan. Her residencies include Arts Letters & Numbers and Mass MoCA. She has a BA in Visual Arts from Brown University and an MFA in Computer Arts from the School of Visual Arts. She lives and works in Brooklyn.
About 440 Gallery: 440 Gallery presents engaging art to the community through exhibitions, talks, readings and events centered around direct contact with the artist. Open Thursday, Friday 4-7pm, Saturday, Sunday 12-6pm, or by appointment. 440 Gallery is in Park Slope, convenient to the F, M, and R subways.
More information: 440gallery.com
