via: riley
Notes:
Erin M. Riley’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in the meticulous and labor-intensive process of hand-weaving, a medium that she reclaims from traditional domestic craft to engage with contemporary themes of trauma, intimacy, and self-exploration. Using a floor loom, Riley weaves her tapestries from hand-dyed wool, often sourced from discarded or secondhand materials, reinforcing the personal and historical narratives embedded in her work. The deliberate slowness of the weaving process contrasts sharply with the immediacy of the digital images she references, primarily drawn from social media, personal archives, and internet culture. This juxtaposition forces viewers to reconcile the tension between fleeting moments and the permanence of the woven object, underscoring the artist’s meditation on memory, vulnerability, and the commodification of the body.
Riley’s process involves translating explicit, often deeply personal imagery—such as intimate self-portraits, depictions of bruises, broken glass, and moments of solitude—into tactile, large-scale woven pieces. The act of weaving itself becomes an extension of storytelling, where each thread carries the weight of time and emotional labor. Unlike photography, which can be quickly captured and discarded, weaving requires extended commitment, making each work an act of devotion and introspection. Her decision to work with wool—a material associated with warmth, comfort, and domesticity—further complicates the reading of her imagery, blurring the boundaries between care and violence, exposure and concealment. By transforming digital ephemera into physical, time-intensive works, Riley emphasizes the endurance of personal histories and the resilience of her subjects.
The physicality of Riley’s weaving process also speaks to a feminist reclaiming of craft, positioning textile work within the realm of fine art while challenging the historical marginalization of fiber arts. The meticulous repetition of weaving functions as both a meditative act and a confrontation with difficult subject matter, allowing her to process personal and collective traumas through material engagement. By elevating everyday or private moments into monumental forms, Riley not only amplifies their significance but also compels viewers to engage with themes of objectification, consent, and self-representation. Her process is as much about labor and endurance as it is about storytelling, creating works that demand time, attention, and emotional reckoning.
- RJG