Diné culture and economy radically changed during the period of American expansionism and settler colonialism in the 1860s. Before this period, “rugs” were a foreign concept as most Diné textiles were made for utilitarian purposes, serving as clothing, blankets, equestrian gear, and trade items. Western ethnographers, anthropologists, and art historians have constructed most of the academic framework for documenting and understanding Diné textiles. Diné rugs are typically characterized by their designs, colors, and specific geometric elements, which adhere to the regional typology classification system. Until recently, the contributions of weavers and their creations were less emphasized in textile scholarship, as traditional academic approaches have not always recognized Diné weavers themselves as significant sources of information.

From the Fringes features a selection of textiles from the Center of Southwest Studies’ Durango Collection©, contemporary Diné weavings by Venancio Aragón, his mother Irveta Aragón, and Venancio’s students from Diné College’s Navajo Cultural Arts Program. The exhibition highlights a range of technical and aesthetic oddities that disrupt and complicate regional typology. From the Fringes celebrates unique and overlooked weavings of the Diné textile repertoire that have been overshadowed and understudied.

This exhibition focuses on four themes of weaving that inhabit the “fringes” of Diné textile studies.

• Polymorphic Experimentation displays unique innovations introduced by Diné weavers that challenge conventions of textile shapes and form.

• Esoteric Equations highlights rare Diné weaving techniques that involve complex mathematical manipulations of the loom known by only a select number of weavers.

• Pictorial Narration examines weavings with narratives that interact with broader socio-political movements, environmentalism, and material conditions of Diné weavers.

• Continuous Warp presents new works by Diné College students, highlighting the ongoing and evolving nature of Diné weaving as a vibrant cultural art form.

From the Fringes foregrounds Indigenous counter-narratives and disrupts traditional perspectives and interpretations of Diné textiles by Western scholars, who have classified and compartmentalized Diné weavings through a lens that prioritizes regional typology shaped by the settler gaze. In contrast, the featured weavers and their works illuminate ongoing innovations and experimentations within Diné weaving practice.

The textiles in From the Fringes raise questions that may not have definitive answers but compel us to keep asking them.