Arts and Entertainment Editor
The Davis Gallery at Houghton House will have a new exhibition, entitled Thread Bare, in November of chosen works by artist Kate Kretz.
Kretz uses conventionally feminine mediums such as embroidery and sewing to engage with the theme of the formation of female identity as both a lived experience and ideological construct. In particular, Kretz focuses on the subjects of maternity and aging. By focusing on these subjects, the exhibition will show sides of the female experience often thought to be too “messy” or “ugly” for public consumption.
“In this day and age, it often feels as though the earnest, cathectic things I make are an act of profound resistance” say Kretz, who considers her work a “healing prayer” in response to the negative news stories that surround us today.
Kretz was formally trained as a painter, but her work crosses disciplines. Some recent work includes human hair embroideries, bas-relief cotton floss embroideries, acrylic paintings on black cotton velvet, and tiny silverpoint drawings on found silver objects. Her 2012 solo exhibition at Hardcore Art Contemporary Space in Miami, was reviewed in The Huffington Post, El Nuevo Herald, Art Districts Magazine. Kretz’s work has also appeared in over 95 international newspapers, such as the New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair Italy, and ELLE Japan. Previous exhibitions include the Museum of Arts & Design, Van Gijn Museum, Kunstraum Kreuzberg, as well as many more in acclaimed museums and galleries around the world.
Thread Bare will run from Nov. 17 through Dec. 15, although it will be closed for Thanksgiving from Nov. 22 to 26. A reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 15 from 6-8pm.