Josh Faught: Sanctuary
Henry Art Gallery, Seattle, WA - To Aug 3
This show of Josh Faught’s multimedia works could not come at a more urgent time, what with the Trump administration planning massive cuts to federal programs that assist and honor LGBTQ+ citizens. The Henry Art Gallery has a sterling record of queer programming, including Trans Hirstory in 99 Objects in 2017, a pathbreaking show of artworks, archival materials, video and photography tracing, among other things, Seattle’s pioneering history of transsexual counseling centers.
Lately, Henry director Kris Lewis reiterated the institution’s support of diversity, equity and inclusion, saying on behalf of the board of trustees that “in this moment, as recent executive orders threaten fundamental rights and freedoms, we reaffirm our commitment to being a safe space where all people especially those from marginalized communities—are seen, heard and valued.”
Faught’s Sanctuary (2017), a giant tapestry commissioned for the city’s Episcopal cathedral, Saint Mark’s, is over 45 feet high, made of hand-dyed cotton, hemp and gold lamé, stuffed with queer-themed DVDs, magazines, sheet music, giant clothespins, and images of spiritual and religious devotion. The 46 year-old artist, who teaches at the California College of the Arts, constructed the work over a period of months, fastening it to an interior column of the cathedral before it was donated to the Henry by William and Ruth True, the original patrons. Faught is a graduate of Oberlin College, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
Senior curator Nina Bozicnik has added Faught’s recent basket and sweater works to the display. Each references queer histories with great verve, color and humor.
