These Hands, These Backs

A richly worked textile presents a layered panorama of labor, moving from highways and machinery at the top through repeated hands, backs, and knees to rows of workers below. Bold stitched figures, signage, vehicles, and industrial structures form a dense, symbolic composition, while the recurring waves of thread unify the scenes with a handmade, urgent rhythm. The visible irregularities of the embroidery give the piece the directness of contemporary social-practice folk art.