This touchable Ackland art finds comfort in terror

Abstract forms converge to create something that first resembles a forest but, upon closer examination, might be an entirely new life form. Seafoam green tendrils wrap around bright purple shapes, drawing the viewer closer. Once near, hidden messages seem welcoming but take on a darker meaning the longer they’re observed.

One message says, “You’ll always be mine.”

No, this isn’t the beginning of a campfire story you might hear on Halloween. It’s a description of one of the Ackland Art Museum’s latest pieces of artwork on display, “Soft Night, Watching,” from Miami-based artist Jen Clay.

From now until July 12, Ackland visitors can experience this interactive, quilted piece, which Clay says was inspired by her love of science fiction and her affinity for the ambience of Mountain View, North Carolina, where she was born.

“Growing up in the woods, it just feels like there’s less people around,” Clay said. “I felt like if I heard something in the woods it felt like it was more likely to be a creature or an alien than a human being.”

Her fascination with the strange and unusual led her to find comfort in movies like “Ghostbusters,” television shows like “Tales from the Crypt” and short stories such as H.P. Lovecraft’s “Color Out of Space” and Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows.” Both stories are available for visitors to read when viewing “Soft Night, Watching.”

“Color Out of Space” tells the story of a family farm that becomes corrupted and mutated after a meteorite crashes, while “The Willows” describes a canoe trip by two friends who find themselves surrounded by a supernatural, living forest. Both stories were major inspirations for Clay.

The piece features text sewn into the fabric that is meant to both comfort and disturb. (Photo courtesy of Alex Maness)

“Both stories deal with what the environment is doing to your sanity and to your mental health,” Clay said. “I think exploring that is a big foundation of my work.”

Before 2020, Clay’s art primarily consisted of immersive installations, costume design for stage productions and small animated pieces. During the pandemic, she pivoted to sensory-inclusive textile art, which invites people to touch her pieces and discover hidden messages like the ones embedded in “Soft Night, Watching.”

Lauren Turner, the Ackland’s associate curator for contemporary art and special projects, commissioned the piece after being introduced to Clay’s earlier work. Turner got a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of “Soft Night, Watching,” which took place over just three months, from May to August of this year.

“I’m ecstatic to have touchable artwork at the Ackland,” Turner said. “On opening day, I watched two parents tell their children that they should not touch Jen’s piece. It was a career highlight to be able to let them know that, yes, at least in this space, gentle touch is encouraged.”

“I want people to feel comfortable being a little uncomfortable,” Clay said. “To feel happy but eerie at the same time, I love those two opposing feelings.” (Photo courtesy of Alex Maness)

The gentleness at the heart of the monstrous is what inspired Clay to create her pieces. She says that’s why she uses soft, soothing fabrics to construct something that might otherwise make people uncomfortable.

“I want people to feel comfortable being a little uncomfortable,” Clay said. “To feel happy but eerie at the same time, I love those two opposing feelings.”

“Much of horror is concerned with fears of the unknown, and Jen’s work uses unfamiliar forms as a metaphor for a person’s internal struggles with mental health,” Turner said. “Even though aspects of the piece are nightmarish, Jen’s welcoming textures and vibrant palette choices are a beautiful reminder that even in those critical moments when people don’t entirely recognize themselves, they still deserve attention, comfort and grace.”