Erin M. Riley, an artist out of Philadelphia, is urging you to really rethink your notion of weaving and looming by transforming it from traditional to anything but. At the core of loom work, for centuries upon centuries, it has been about telling a story. And yes, Erin M. Riley is every bit a storyteller. It’s just that these stories are darker and much more complex than you may be used to seeing. Overdoses, car accidents, and explicit selfies are all fair game to Riley and there is a reason for this. She wants to shock, but she implores you not to turn away.
It’s like rubbernecking in traffic. We have this primordial urge to see what is slowing us down. Is anyone hurt? Is there an ambulance? Why do we care? Riley’s art is like sitting in an extended traffic jam with an accident approaching. Your curiosity, the sirens blaring, your passengers interest are all compounding to that penultimate moment where you approach the scene. You only have seconds to digest the accident and all of its gore and you don’t want to miss it. Why? Because you’re human and Riley wants you to face that reality.
Hi-Fructose had the opportunity to ask Riley some questions:
Eva Gletner: You art has been described as both “Woven Eroticism” and “Erotic Tapestries.” Would you say that this is a fair assessment of your pieces?
Erin M. Riley: Nudity or images revealing skin is most often simply described as erotic, but while the images I use might be intended to arouse a partner, the tapestries I weave are not just about eroticism. I am much more interested in the vulnerability that is depicted, the beauty that I find in those moments of exploration as well as the ideas of consent, body image, and how society responds to women revealing themselves. I think its an over simplified assessment.
