A brochure essay for Agustina Woodgate: Rugs, Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, March 2014

The first carpets were produced in Asia (4000 BC) by nomadic peoples, and served as protection and shelter. In some cultures (e.g. Bedouin culture) they are used for sleep and hosting. In other words, domestic contexts tie the substance from which the rugs were made (the toys) with rugs themselves, and the domestic is the kingdom of the woman, a realm of yearning and a promise for happiness. Add to this the fact that the age-old tradition of carpet-weaving is Oriental, as opposed to the Western tradition of quilt-making. Another paradoxical aspect has to do with the stuffed animals’ conditions of production and the fact that the majority of these toys are manufactured in countries such as China and Indonesia to supply the demand of the West. In this respect, Woodgate’s rugs pay tribute to the oriental carpet-making tradition, alluding to the historical and ritual value of the materials, as well as to the affinities between commerce, tradition, East and West, and modernity, in the era of globalism.