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A close-up of a textile work showing a person’s legs and hand. They wear a teal blue garment and reddish-pink shoes, with small red marks on their fingertips.

Art: Erin M. Riley's hand woven tapestries shine a new light on the nude selfie (NSFW)

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Date
29 August 2013

What better way to create a thought-provoking portrait of way young people are often portrayed in contemporary culture than to take a whole series of sleazy, not-before-the-watershed images and render them in through a time-honoured craft reminiscent of the Bayeux Tapestry? This somewhat brutal juxtaposition of the sordid with the traditional has the effect of creating a satirical and brow-furrowing reflection of modern society, and Erin M. Riley is leaving no stone unturned in her search for subjects.

And I do mean sordid, too; guns, syringes, bongs, vomit, sex, cars crashing, no topic is too much to be recreated on Erin’s loom. Somebody has to question our perpetual acceptance of modern norms after all. Her series of girls taking selfies is especially absorbing; born from a concern about the way young women are sexualised, or encouraged to sexualise themselves, Erin’s is a caustic comment on the state of gender politics in the midst of tabloid and media frenzy. The sheer multitude of work she has created is astounding, too, and warrants a solid couple of hours of open-mouthed scrolling. Perhaps not when your boss is around though, eh?

A tapestry depicting a person taking a mirror selfie. They hold a phone in front of their face and wear blue denim shorts.
Above

Erin M. Riley: Nudes 13

A textile artwork of a person lying on their stomach, holding a pink smartphone in front of their face. They wear a blue top and have long brown hair that falls across their back.
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Erin M. Riley: Nudes 9

A woven tapestry depicting a person lying on their stomach. They wear a colourful, patterned waistband in shades of pink, purple and blue.
Above

Erin M. Riley: My Boyfriend’s Band is On Tour

A woven tapestry of a person from the shoulders down, wearing a polka-dot bikini bottom. They hold the top edge of the garment taut with both hands.
Above

Erin M. Riley: Tease

A textile artwork showing a close-up of a figure's torso. The figure wears a black top over a striped pink and black garment, set against a pale blue background with a floral border.
Above

Erin M. Riley: Ass Shot 4

A textile work showing the back of a person wearing a red garment. Their hands are clasped behind them against a dark grey background.
Above

Erin M. Riley: Undressing 2

A wooden weaving loom with a partially finished pale pink fabric featuring purple polka dots. Spools of peach-coloured yarn and a wooden shuttle with light blue thread sit across the warp threads.
Above

Erin M. Riley: Photograph by Shanna Waddell

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

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Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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