Emily Lazerwitz

Rug works are an integral part of Emily Lazerwitz’s practice. Art and craft and science come together in these intricate works. In this textile piece, she uses as her source the currency exchange on the day of the EU referendum results. Tracking the different currencies at this pivotal moment, the work is a snap-shot of an important historical moment. Lazerwitz transcribes the figures to make a monochrome. By doing so, she links it to abstraction and geometric abstraction, key movements of contemporary art.

The use of the rug also implies a sense of craft and hand-made, that seems to stand at odds with the content of the work. However, the use of this medium connects the work to a long heritage of contemporary textiles, most specifically the work of Anni Albers, or more contemporary artists such as Sheila Hicks or Brent Wadden. As such, Lazerwitz gives us a multi-layered and complex work, part historical document, part art-historical. It is a striking piece that marks a defining moment of history.