WEAVINGS ARE FORMED through the gradual accumulation of threads inserted sequentially over time, fostering a connection between the materials and the weaver. Allison Smith Hernandez is inspired by women of mythology who overcame adversity through their craft of weaving. Penelope sat at her loom weaving and secretly unweaving to stave off inconvenient decisions. Sisters Procne and Philomela communicated across borders through coded messages hidden in woven tapestry. Ariadne assisted Theseus in conquering the labyrinth with her ball of red thread. Through the process of creating their textiles, these women exhibited considerable emotional strength and artistic complexity, which Smith Hernandez draws upon to bring their resiliency and feminine legacy into her work.
Smith Hernandez uses the loom as a conceptual tool, finding meaning in the metaphors associated with the process of weaving in conjunction with the physicality of the materials. Her understanding of textile processes allows her to apply the vocabulary of weaving to create textural cloth, therefore utilizing weaving as a form of three dimensional drawing. Experimenting with compositional elements, Smith Hernandez blurs the lines between foreground and background through the intersections of color and weave structures. The finished compositions read as eloquently symbolic objects embodying texture, color, and rhythm.
While the ancient feminist myths inspire Smith Hernandez’s enthusiasm for the weaving process, her use of decorative motifs was informed by her interest in the Pattern and Decoration Movement (P&D) of the 1970s. The P&D Movement was led by women artists, who placed value on pattern, craft, and ornament. They utilized complex pattern and shape relationships and upheld the decorative and feminine aspects of their work. Like them, these characteristics are important to Smith Hernandez’s craft, connecting to the diverse generations of women weavers and artists before her. Smith Hernandez draws upon these empowering narratives to inform her work, tying past to present and firmly centering feminist theory and craft at the heart of her artistic practice.