Saturday 22 October 2022

Black Dolls, Exhibit, New York Historical Society, 2022




Black Dolls explores handmade cloth dolls made primarily by African American women between 1850 and 1940 through the lens of race, gender, and history. The exhibition immerses visitors in the world of dolls, doll play, and doll making while examining the formation of racial stereotypes and confronting the persistence of racism in American history. It features more than 100 cloth dolls, alongside dozens of historical photographs of white and Black children posed with their playthings and caregivers. A coda explores 20th-century commercial dolls marketed to a broader audience of Black families seeking to instill pride in their children. Through these humble yet potent objects, Black Dolls reveals difficult truths about American history and invites visitors to engage in the urgent national conversation around the legacy of slavery and race.

Curated by Margaret K. Hofer, vice president and museum director, and Dominique Jean-Louis, associate curator

https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/black-dolls-0




 

Friday 14 October 2022

Maria Lai, Artist, Italy, b. 1919, d. 2013








Source:



 

Anne Wilson, Artist, American

 


LOST is about the loss of the physical body; about mortality. The displaced hair is lost, separated from the body, graduated over a large cloth that may reference something like a garment or a curtain, gathered and draped over a chair.




More to see. 
Artist Website:

Luisa Rabbia, Artist, Italy

 

https://luisarabbia.com/work/



"Though Luisa Rabbia works in various media, the core of her practice resides in drawing." - source is The Brooklyn Rail, article by Stephanie Buhmann. Link here to read.


Tuesday 11 October 2022

Sarah Mead Leonard, "Morris's Imperial and Environmental Materials: A Study in Indigo"



 

Dr. Sarah Mead Leonard presents her paper "Morris's Imperial & Environmental Materials: A Study in Indigo," discussing the indigo used to create Morris's textiles. A question and answer session follows. Originally presented on Zoom for William Morris Society US members and registered guests on William Morris's 187th birthday, March 24, 2021. Please note the video is fully captioned.

Sunday 2 October 2022

Warner Textile Archive, United Kingdom


A few examples. More to see. Go to link below. 






 

Textile Society Databases


The Textile Society promotes the study of textile disciplines and celebrates the history and culture of textiles, both traditional and contemporary.

17 databases available. 
Go to this link: 


Screen shot example from wool database.



This is called an andari, and its Muslim from Banni Cutch. [MHT] And it is what? [JG] It goes on a horse's head – like that. The holes are for the ears. [MHT] What, for festivals? [JG] For festivals.'

Image and text source link. More images and information.


 

Surface Design Association Blog


Link below for updated/current blog posts:



Below - screen shot from blog.

“Exposing History: Color, Taste, and Textiles” by Nikki Fragala Barnes: “Mongiovi rejoices in complexities and constraints, especially when the tensions of a site-sensitive project generate insight and restoration of the presences—the fibers—of people and their technologies… Mongiovi is in conversation with structures and spaces as her work responds to centuries of domestic living.”




 

George Washington University, Textile Museum, Database

GW is home to nearly 31,000 works of art and artifacts, including extensive textile collections. More than 16,000 works are currently available online, and new records are added weekly.

Link below to search the collection:



A few screen shots from the collection:



 

Blog for Textile Research Center, Leiden, Netherlands




Link to above images: https://www.trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/en/blog


Link to main/updated page of blog: https://www.trc-leiden.nl/trc/index.php/en/blog

 

Elizabeth Tolson, Artist

untitled bodies , 2019 Fabric Individual piece size: h: 48 in x w: 24in x d: 3in Moon Surface Study Weaving  Ceramic, Embroidery Thread Arti...