"My mind is one of the safest places for my imagination to run wild and let go, so I trust it because it has led me in the right direction many times before. Now, I've learned not to try to make sense of everything at the beginning—I just let it evolve."
- Gabrielle Torres
View of Gabrielle Torres, Concierto de Aranguez, Part 2, 2023
Fabric, wire, and Golden Pothos, 45 x 45 IN
As one of the most recent additions to the CAMP roster, multi-media artist Gabrielle Torres is among the four participating in Swathed in Color, Line and Stitches. Her work disrupts the intersection of materiality and meaning, and the play into a mixture of traditional painting and weighty textile incorporation. On display as part of the exhibition are four of her Wilton Street Rhythm series, amalgams of textile movement, musical groove, and raw emotion. Inspired by the stylings of Miles Davis, each piece sings its own song giving emotion physical form and playing with the manipulation of color and material.
In this Q&A, we see the insight and reflection from Torres on not only her works but interaction between the other artists and audience in tandem with the pieces.
What kind of conversations or questions would you like your viewers to generate about your pieces?
Gabrielle Torres: The loom paintings engage the senses. The multifaceted nature of the work evokes touch, sight, and sometimes even smell. They invite the audience to travel through the past and present by presenting familiar imagery in discarded materials. The plants symbolize growth and possibility. Together, the works speak to ideas that are universal yet specific, depending on how each viewer relates to the materials. For example, what comes to mind when tattered blue indigo dye appears before you? Simpler times at art camp? A favorite dress worn on countless occasions? Materials communicate through engagement. I want viewers to see the possibilities in the past, how they relate to the present, and how they can alter the future.
How do your works interact with works by Eden Quispe?
GT: I cannot say how my works relate for others on an overall level, but I can speak to the similarities that come to mind when experiencing the work. Quispe’s pieces feel like distinct moments—whether mundane or extraordinary. I find this fascinating, as I aspire to evoke similar feelings in my own work through materials. The work feels multifaceted as well; these moments can be tranquil and complex, invigorating and bold, varying from piece to piece. I always appreciate works that let the mind wander. I think the similarities between our works are what create this interaction.
The material process and interaction in both works spark a conversation about the sentimental value found in the techniques used. Pairing these styles of work together alludes to the intentionality of placement for storytelling. I think the works echo each other, strengthening the concepts and sparking conversation.
Where do you usually source all of the materials you use for your works?
GT: I usually source my materials through interactions with the community. Much of my fabric came from a trade on Facebook Marketplace, where I exchanged a restaurant shelf for as many containers of fabric as I could fit in my van. Some materials also came from working at schools and receiving donations from teachers. My grandmother recently gave me over 100 pairs of shoes to create with, and my family sends clothes as well. I admit, I'm a bit of a hoarder. And, of course, I thrift! :)In your artist statement, you said, “This world is a sea and my instincts are my compass,” can you give us an example of how your instincts have navigated you in the past?
I am an even firmer believer now than when I made this statement that everything we are was always inside of us—it just takes time to manifest. My instincts guided me to discover my process, techniques, and approach. My process of weaving plants stems from memories of gardening with my mother; this interest grew throughout graduate school, often appearing in my dreams, and eventually made its way into my work. At the same time, I was saving baby toys and clothes to reduce my carbon footprint, though I didn't yet know how it would all come together. But eventually, it did. My mind is one of the safest places for my imagination to run wild and let go, so I trust it because it has led me in the right direction many times before. Now, I've learned not to try to make sense of everything at the beginning—I just let it evolve.
Gabrielle Torres, Round Midnight, 2023,
Fabric, wire, and Golden Pothos, 45 x 45 IN
What inspired you to create this series?
GT: The process began during graduate school, at a time when it didn’t make sense to me yet. As I mentioned before, I was dreaming about weaving these loom paintings while creating other work for class and pursuing this on the side. This was during COVID, so I was working online. One of my professors saw the work in the back of my studio and asked, “Torres, what is that?” I tried to hide it because I couldn’t explain it at the time and felt like I needed to.
Years later, I evolved the technique after completing a particularly conceptually heavy body of work. I always felt that weaving was meditative and cleansing, and I needed to grow emotionally and mentally. So, I began creating elements and principles based on the highs and lows of Miles Davis’s music. It was amazing.
Describe your art process in five words.
GT: Intuitive, intoxicating, evolving, curious, unapologetic
Do you have a favorite from all of the exhibitions you have had in the past?
GT: So far, the most recent works from Honeysuckle are my favorite. These pieces are my autobiography—very raw and bold, yet considerate, representing me as a whole. Creating them took so much out of me that I cried after dropping them off at the gallery.
Gabrielle Torres, All Blues, 2023,
Fabric, wire, and Golden Pothos, 45 x 45 IN
How did you come up with adding the plants and hanging them in these pockets within the work?
GT: They came to me in a dream. I have my best ideas right before I go to bed, and sometimes, if I’m lucky, I dream about them. The loom paintings began with the plants unattached, then evolved to being embedded in the work. My goal is for them to eventually remain in the work so long that they take over. Then I ask myself, “What does this mean now?”
Is there a specific emotion you want spectators to feel while viewing this piece?
GT: Reflective yet happy. I think in today’s world, we need more work that focuses on the good times. I do love conceptually heavy work, but now it feels like that’s all we see—our lives often feel heavy, complicated, and emotional. My goal is to create a different narrative, highlighting the joys found in the mundane and in the past, present, and future by growing together as humanity. That’s what the loom paintings are about
Has there ever been a piece you made that you weren't happy or satisfied with?
GT: Yes, but I often still keep them, lol. The pieces that take the longest or that I don’t love are often the ones people like most—or the ones that sell first. So, I stopped hiding them! The works in this show were not my favorites from the series and had never been seen, but out of all the works sent, Camp somehow chose the only unseen ones!
Detail of Concierto de Aranguez, Part 2
"Together, the works speak to ideas that are universal yet specific, depending on how each viewer relates to the materials. For example, what comes to mind when tattered blue indigo dye appears before you? Simpler times at art camp? A favorite dress worn on countless occasions? Materials communicate through engagement. I want viewers to see the possibilities in the past, how they relate to the present, and how they can alter the future."
- Gabrielle Torres