Working with a minimal amount of material, Loy explores thresholds of our senses – lines at the threshold of visibility, and ‘surfaces’ at the threshold of boundary. Developed from a body of work that began in 2019, this exhibition is a further exploration of the concept of textiles with more space than lines.

On a greater physical scale, employing the floor and ceiling as a loom for anchoring loose lines, Loy constructed the central installation in-situ, manipulating the lines to change her experience of the space.

Loy thinks of lines as building blocks, modified by parameters such as colour, scale, tension, and placement. The act of weaving – constructing surfaces from lines held in tension, is a constant negotiation between the weaver and the line. Especially in the context of extremely open weave structures, the lines find their own equilibrium within the woven structure, after the weaver’s intervention. Motivated by the technical challenge of keeping the structures strong and stable, even when woven loosely, Loy experiments systematically with yarn materials and forms, and weaving techniques.

Studies were built in smaller scale, to explore the effects of different parameters on the stability and visibility of the woven structures. Thin lines were plied to form thicker lines. White lines were dyed to alter their visibility inspace. Multiple ‘surfaces’ criss-cross and curve to break out of the woven grid. With each study constructed, Loy builds upon her understanding of the materials and their behaviour and interaction with each other.