“clò mòr”: New exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
reminds us to fight for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights
Almonte, ON- Carl Stewart’s poignant piece, “clò mòr”, will be exhibited at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum from October 21 – December 23, 2023. The opening will take place from 2pm – 4pm on Saturday, October 21, and Stewart will be hosting a talk at the Museum on Saturday, November 4 from 2pm – 4pm. In early 2015, images circulated around the world showing Islamic State militants in northern Iraq executing men accused of committing homosexual acts. The bound and blindfolded men were taunted, beaten, taken to the top of a 100 foot building and pushed to their deaths. These brutal executions are a reminder that there are currently 66 countries around the world, some with legitimate, democratically-elected governments, where homosexuality is against the law with penalties ranging from fines to incarceration, to execution.
Knowing this, Stewart has created “clò mòr”; 66 unique pieces of hand-woven fabric to symbolize each country where homosexuality remains criminalized. The national flag of these countries serves as inspiration for the colours, proportions, and patterns of the fabric. ‘Clò mòr’ is Scottish Gaelic for ‘the great cloth’ and speaks to shared humanity, interconnectedness, and the responsibility to respect, defend and care for one another.
“clò mòr” references Scottish estate tweeds, fabrics originally designed as camouflage; a striking metaphor for how members of the LGBTQ+ communities in these 66 countries must, out of self-preservation, hide in plain sight, blend in, and pass, for all intents and purposes, as heterosexual. The inclusion of yarns hand-dyed with dyestuffs from Stewart’s homeland anchors the work and creates a bridge, a safe passage, from there to here, saying “you are welcome here and you are one of us.”
Stewart is a weaver working and living in Ottawa, and the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum acknowledges the Canada Council for the Arts, Fibre Art Now, and the Ontario Arts Council for their support in bringing this local exhibit to the Museum.
Quote
“Stewart’s ‘clò mòr’ is a powerful statement reminding us that there is still a long way to go in fighting for 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, for human rights. We have to continue pushing for equality and standing up to bigotry.” – Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director/Curator, Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
Image Credit
Lawrence Cook
Contact
Michael Rikley-Lancaster
Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
613-256-3754
