While one may look at Gabriel Dawe’s installations and call them fantastical and even decorative, the artist considers working with thread an act of rebellion. Growing up in Mexico City, as a boy, the Texas-based artist was discouraged from taking an interest in embroidery. While thread is his preferred medium, he uses it for architectural means. His minimalist aesthetic departs greatly from traditional crafting. Instead, Dawe uses the thread to build translucent, colorful shapes that alter the spaces they inhabit. He calls them Plexuses, a term used to describe branching vessels or nerves. Dawe recently set up Plexus 28, a rich eggplant and crimson-hued piece composed of two concentric circles, at the Virginia MOCA. The MOCA created a time lapse video of the creation of the piece, as well as a short video interview with the artist. Check out more on Plexus 28 below and if you’re curious about Dawe’s other work, take a look at our previous post about the artist here.
Timelapse of the installation
Virginia MOCA’s interview with Gabriel Dawe
Finished installation, Plexus 28.
Work in progress.
View from the entrance of the exhibition.