Queer Threads: Crafting Identity and Community

Queer Threads is a lovely attempt to capture an ever-shifting community of artists that resists easy classification or description. The community included in the book is so diverse that in many ways the artists featured seem only tenuously connected–which is the point. The artists included use different mediums, different genres, different spaces, and are diverse in terms of nation, race, language, gender identity, sexuality, and artistic philosophy. Their diversity is partially what contributes to the queerness of their art and community.

And Queer Threads does its best to avoid categorically defining the included artists while still arranging an art book in a coherent way for the reader to experience. It does so by presenting a selection of each artist’s work without comment. The end of the book features interviews with each of the artists, allowing them to describe their work in their own words. So what’s queer about queer textile arts? The subject matter and themes may represent scenes or experiences from queer life, the artist may identify as a member of the queer community, the textiles may be unorthodox or deployed in ways seemingly contrary to their typical use–these are but possibilities among others. The pieces shown include life-size portraits of figures made with fine crocheted thread; embroidery portraits of gender-nonconforming people; and abstract quilts, tapestry, and sculptural pieces. The unconventional and surprising pieces are refreshing and inspiring. The experience of reading the book is, in short, delightful and highly recommended.