A Celebration of Textile Art

Some may remember the series of articles that The Textile Blog produced on a number of contemporary textile artists. I thought it a timely reminder not so much to reflect on the articles themselves, but the idea of textile art as a title. Many still see the impossibility of the words 'textile' and 'art' being in the same sentence, at least without being derogatory. It is often thought that textile art is a branch of craft, and while techniques used by textile artists do often derive from a craft foundation, whether that be through quilting, embroidery, printing, weaving, tapestry, knit, lace, felt and others, it does not negate the conceptual thought that often goes into a textile art piece.

Happily for many, we have come a long way from the idea that textile art should be considered a lesser subject than fine art. In fact, it is just one of the many tools that an artist can use as a form of self-expression. It is also a discipline that is loaded with complex and diverse forms of making and shows an extraordinary capacity for self-perpetuating individualism and the unique qualities that can only be found within the textile genre.

Textile art is growing strongly, and in many of the traditional craft skills that are often assumed near-dead, individuals have breathed new life into tried and tested formulas, often completely breaking the rules of tradition, producing new and innovative ideas that are then pushed on by others. Interestingly and happily, there is no real centre to contemporary textile art. It can be found from Alaska to New Zealand, and can reflect the flavour of local heritage and culture or can project outwards a truly international aspect.

In many ways, as the title of this article suggests, this is a celebration not only of textile art itself, but how far it has come and how healthy seems its journey ahead. There are many artists, who have now become established names in their own right, and there are new generations of artists, some of whom approached textile art from the wide textile craft base, but interestingly there are also those that are approaching textiles from a fine art background.

One thing that I have always noticed about the textile art world is how enthusiastic, supportive and accommodating it is to a whole range of diverse approaches. All seem accepted, the professional, the amateur, the traditionalist and the contemporary and this is surely how it should be. There should always be room for creative free-expression. One of the great strengths of textile art is the fact that so many techniques are involved and can be so on one individual art piece. The skills base itself is extraordinary with textile artists being proficient often in a whole range of traditional as well as highly contemporary techniques and ideas. As long as textile artists can project themselves into the modern world, in many respects they keep the traditional skills of quilting, embroidery, printing, weaving, tapestry, knit, lace, felt and so many others, alive and self-refreshing. In this way the hand-produced textile disciplines can be passed on to new generations, who will hopefully re-evaluate and then project a new identity to those traditions.

Textile art is a fascinating world full of possibilities. It often involves a cross-disciplinary assumption that is not always favoured by all members of the creative world. However, textile artists themselves often produce work that is layered with both meaning and identity. That the layering can also be an accumulation of a diverse technical ability, can often be seen as a liberation rather than a betrayal of craft or art roots. Either way it appears obvious that textile art is both an important part of the contemporary creative world, as well as expanding and maturing into a discipline that counts.

The mosaic illustration that goes with this article shows the work of all 38 artists that were featured on The Textile Blog. They can all be found on the Textile Artists page by pressing the tab just below the main header of the blog, or you can follow this link.

Further reading links:

Harriet Powers Centenary

Illustration: Harriet Powers. Bible Quilt, 1886.

This is the centenary year of the death of Harriet Powers, probably one of the most prominent of Southern nineteenth century quilters. There are only two acknowledged Powers quilts popularly known to exist, though there could well be at least one more in existence, possibly even more, either not having been identified or privately and unknowingly part of a collection. Either way, the two that are known, the Bible and Pictorial quilt both shown in this article, are excellent examples of Southern quilting from the nineteenth century.

Powers was born a slave in Georgia in 1837 and so spent nearly the first three decades of her life as the sole property of an individual. It is perhaps difficult for us to comprehend the idea that a human can be both the legal property and possession of another. However, what is truly remarkable is the number of individuals such as Powers, who although born into forced indenture, were still able to carve an independent life for themselves after slavery had been abolished. It is this particular generation that had been born into slavery that is the most inspirational. Although generations of African American slaves were denied access to any creative outlet, the inbuilt human desire for creativity and the outward expression of the imagination can never be subsumed or denied entirely.

Illustration: Harriet Powers, 1897.

It is unknown how Powers early life truly affected her and how those years coloured the rest of her life. That they must have been incorporated within her creative work, is a point that should always be a consideration when viewing her work. The two quilts shown here are pictorial in essence and is a clear indication showing that at least a certain element of African inspired creativity had managed to both pass down the generations and indeed outlast slavery itself. Powers work is clear and concise in composition and the narrative is both powerful and spiritual in context. There would have been no ambiguity concerning the pictorial aspects of her quilts for the generation they were made for, although today some of the compositions are less clear to a modern audience.

Whether the imagery produced by Powers is understood fully or not, it cannot be denied that the artist produced a strong and forcefully effective spiritual and magical tone to her work. Powers work should never be seen as simple or folksy, these are images that are fundamental to human history whether in Africa or America. They tap into the inbuilt spirituality of humans from the earliest of times, and while we may not fully understand why we are drawn to the defined imagery of Powers creative work, we are drawn nonetheless.

Illustration: Harriet Powers. Pictorial Quilt, 1898.

There are a number of celebrations and exhibitions drawing attention to the work and life of Harriet Powers. One of the most comprehensive is that of Hands That Can Do: African American Quilters of Northeast Georgia. This exhibition which runs from 5 October 2010 until 19 January 2011 at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens, Georgia, has at its core a number of discussions that include the work of Powers, the quilt traditions of African Americans along with the textile traditions and connections with West Africa. A special guest will be the author Kyra Hicks who wrote the influential and fascinating, This I accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces. Links to the exhibition and Hicks books can be seen in the reference links section below.

That Powers was a strong, intelligent and intuitive creative artist who had the imagination, spiritual depth and understanding to both inform and expand our own imaginations, is in no doubt. That she has been honoured in this her centenary year, is her just deserve.

Reference links:
Hands That Can Do: African American Quilters of Northeast Georgia exhibition
This I Accomplish: Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt and Other Pieces
1.6 Million African American Quilters: Survey, Sites, and a Half-Dozen Art Quilt Blocks
Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook
Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria
Crafted Lives: Stories and Studies of African American Quilters
Love of Liberty: The Liberian Flag Story and Quilt Pattern