Loominosity
Outlet Fine Art
Brooklyn, New York
February 20 – March 29, 2015

Curated by John Silvis

Loominosity brought together a group of artists exploring the loom as a primary creative tool, engaging with the rich legacy of textile as fine art and its evolving relevance in the digital age. Organized by curator John Silvis at OUTLET Fine Art—a gallery he co-founded in Bushwick during a pivotal moment in the neighborhood’s artistic surge—the exhibition included six artists: Samantha Bittman, Amanda Hu, Robin Kang, Erin M. Riley, Phillip Stearns, and us, Steven and William Ladd.

At the time, we were immersed in crafting large-scale woven panels made entirely of glass beads—each six feet tall by two feet wide. Two of these tapestries, one in blue and one in white, were included in the show. Their bold geometric motifs had roots in early, smaller-scale accessory pieces we had created years before. Over time, these patterns evolved into symbolic abstractions—interlocking rectangles, speckled fields, and concentric forms that expressed emotion, relationship, and memory.

For Loominosity, John fabricated a special mount that allowed the works to cantilever out from the wall, letting them float like flags in the space. The presentation emphasized their dual identity as both object and image—tactile and visual, spiritual and structural. Seeing these woven glass pieces in dialogue with the digital, conceptual, and emotionally charged works of our peers was deeply affirming.

Group Exhibitions

Image Courtesy of Outlet Fine Art