Terri Friedman, REFRESH (2022). Cotton, hemp, acrylic, wool, chenille, metallic fibers. 88” x 78”
November 8, 2023
by Jody Zellen
Terri Friedman’s wonderful woven tapestries are on display in “tomorrow is just a thought,” the artist’s solo exhibition at Shoshana Wayne Gallery. Friedman has been creating her “yarn paintings”—applying formal principals of color, shape, and texture to her compositions as if they were traditional “paintings”—for years, and her stunning installation showcases these works and a new series of woven “portraits” each titled after a different feeling or emotion. Her works respond to internal and external uncertainty, and she presents positive possibilities through bright colors, unusual materials, and open-ended, non-objective abstraction. While some of the compositions contain words, they are meant to be suggestive rather than didactic. Friedman’s visual emphasis on positive suggestions is indicative of her interest in neuroplasticity—the capacity humans have to reshape their brains toward a more optimistic outlook, which she cites as one of the motivating forces behind her endeavors.
