Gusanos (Worms)

Unlike other artists represented in this gallery, Francisco Toledo is not known primarily for his textile work. Over a long career he has made his reputation through prints and paintings, but there have been two moments when he worked on textile projects: in the early 1990s, when he designed a series of tapestries, and during the last four years or so, when he made a small group of felt hangings, including this one. Separate tile-like units of laser-cut handmade felt suggest a floor surface. The worms, wriggling on the surface and emerging from the black gaps, seem to be eating the wool, serving as an amusing metaphor for the laser-cutting process.