Cheryl Hirshman is an interdisciplinary artist, engaged in various media, flowing between two-dimensional work of painting, drawing, textiles and photography, three-dimensional work of sculpture, to producing video and sound installations. Her recent work, “Voices of the Yarn,” had at its core the principle of time, memory and voice. For over two years, Hirshman explored knitting and knitting circles as performance where the act of repetition, knitting row upon row, and the discussions that are exchanged between knitters, show how small details or moments gradually build up into something larger. Hirshman connected this idea to the development of the Women’s Movement of the past century, with knitting--symbolically and historically--acting as an umbilical cord nurturing the evolution of women’s consciousness.

 

In Field Hands, Hirshman's present project, looks at craft and celebrates the artistry of farming, again recognizing the importance of handwork both on and off the land. Apart from recognizing the skill and tactile sensation of working with animals and plants, Hirshman wants to create a meditative piece in celebration of work, by collecting stories and histories of farmers and farming to be recorded on thousands of hand-sewn gloves.