Max Adrian: RIPSTOP, Opening July 26

In his seminal work Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity, author José Esteban Muñoz presents “queerness” not as a statement of identity but as a hopeful vision for the future. As Muñoz writes, “Queerness is not yet here. Queerness is an ideality.” In an upcoming show at the Center for Craft, Ohio-based fiber artist Max Adrian, whose work is inspired by “the rich legacies of queer fiber art and theory,” including Muñoz’s text, transports visitors to this postmodern world using patchwork textiles and motion-activated inflatable sculptures made from fur, satin, pleather, fringe, and “ripstop,” the show’s namesake fabric, a reinforced nylon often used in outdoor clothing and gear. “Within my work, utopian ideas can be found in a sense of play or transformation,” Adrian tells Asheville Made. One piece, for instance, is activated by a giant red button “that’s just daring you to touch it,” says Adrian. Other pieces resemble childish plushies and colorful bouncy houses. Though fun, not everything you see in the show will make sense, says Adrian. “But,” he explains, “I think it’s a good thing to not have all the answers and to examine those moments closer. The road to fulfillment, self-actualization, and connection isn’t always a linear or clear path, and some discomfort is bound to be mixed in with pleasure.”