Samantha Bittman. Inside-Out

About

In five new works, the artist continues her practice of weaving complex textiles on a loom and painting selected portions of their surfaces. The effect is a simultaneous obfuscation of Bittman’s initial compositions as she highlights their structure with acrylic paint, revealing new patterns through the masked or semi-masked surfaces. Her works remain indebted to a textile-making tradition while remaining decidedly contemporary, referencing Op Art, Color Field painting and 20th century abstraction.      

                                                 
Bittman’s approach is a multi-step process in which she must be mindful of how the final work will look when weaving the painting’s support on her loom. Starting with individual threads and bound by the parameters and limitations of the loom itself, Bittman generates woven structures that yield visually patterned compositions. These underlying systems ultimately inform her decision-making during the painting process. In this sense, the act of weaving becomes inextricably bound to the act of painting that follows. Similarly, the practice of manifestation and concealment, seemingly opposing forces, make up a dialectical approach that produces her unique results.