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Textile Society Of America Newsletter 30:2 — Fall 2018, Textile Society Of America

Textile Society of America: Newsletters

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the President

TSA News
Welcome New TSA Board Members
Our Focus on Diversity: Vision Statement
R. L. Shep Ethnic Textile Book Award
Diedrick Brackens Honored with 2018 Brandford/Elliott Award

International Report
Featured Exhibitions
Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT)
Opportunity
The University of North Texas to Close Fibers Program by Spring 2019

TSA Symposium
The Social Fabric: Deep Local to Pan Global in pictures
TSA Members' Exhibition
Reports from Student & New Professional Awardees

A Long-Delayed Professional Conversation

Book Reviews
Art, Honor, and Ridicule: Fante Asafo Flags from Southern Ghana
Polychromatic Screen Printing …

Adventures With Don Quixote: Examination And Treatment, Katarzyna Bator

Art Conservation Master's Projects

The third edition of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha from the collection of University at Buffalo Library was examined and treated. A proposed timeline of repairs was constructed based on information gathered through historical research, multiband imaging, x-radiography, and microscopy. The analysis identified at least four possible sewing events and revealed differences in fiber morphology of the papers composing the textblock. The study of past interventions guided the current conservation treatment. Old repairs were kept intact where possible, and the textblock was rebound in a conservation style hybrid structure that resembles the current …

Tanegashima: The Conservation Treatment And Research Of Two Japanese Matchlock Muskets, Katrina Zacharias

Art Conservation Master's Projects

In the fall of 2016, two Japanese matchlock muskets, called Tanegashima, were brought to the SUNY Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department for research, analysis and treatment. The firearms consist of steel, brass, silver and hardwood components. First, the history and fabrication methods of Japanese firearms were researched to try and establish a date, maker and provenance. In addition to the previous information, analysis was conducted of the materials, focusing primarily on identifying the original finishes of the barrel and stock, to determine a treatment approach.

The Analysis And Conservation Of A 1930s Theatrical Make-Up Kit, Mary Wilcop

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A 1930s theatrical makeup kit in the collection the Buffalo Museum of Science was analyzed and treated at the Garman Family Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College. The kit, comprised of a tinplated-steel L. Leichner expandable makeup box, was packed tightly with 105 individual items including: greasepaints; paper, metal, and glass containers of powder- and cream-based cosmetics; wool crepe hairs; makeup-stained cotton balls; several plastic objects; and paper documents. The kit was gifted in 1983, where it had remained since in storage. Approaching treatment began with research into the history of theatrical cosmetics to lend context to the historical …

An Investigation Into Crack Patterns And The Temperature At Which They Occur, Carolyn Hoover

Art Conservation Master's Projects

Recently, a large abstract painting entitled Dialogue (2007) by Lee Ufan was donated to the SUNY Buffalo State Art Conservation program as a study piece. Due to disfiguring horizontal cracking throughout the painting’s surface in the white margins, the painting was considered a total loss that no longer represented the artist’s intentions or work. The intent of this project was to investigate how and why these cracks appeared throughout this painting in this specific pattern. It was suggested by Professor James Hamm that this crack pattern was the result of a singular event when the painting entered a low temperature …

Risk Assessment And Conservation Treatment Of Visual Poetry In A Research Library Collection, Michelle Smith

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A risk assessment was conducted on a collection of 135 works of visual poetry designated as "poetry objects" in the Poetry Collection at University at Buffalo Libraries. A survey instrument was created to allow for identification of existing condition problems in order to predict future issues and quantify risks of damage resulting from three sources: 1) method of storage, 2) presence of chemically unstable materials, and 3) user handling. The results of the risk assessment were summarized and provided to The Poetry Collection along with recommendations for reducing risk to the collection. Method of storage was determined to be the …

Repairing The Restored: Conserving A Mid-19th Century Hand-Colored Aquatint Etching, Allison Brewer

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A mid-nineteenth century aquatint and etching print with hand coloring was admitted for conservation treatment to the Garman Family Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College. The print was in very poor condition upon arrival. Investigating the print using materials analysis helped deduce some of the original materials in the manufacturing of the print as well as non-original materials used to restore it. Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) imaging revealed many damages and repairs to the support. Transmission-Fourier transform infrared microscopy (Transmission-FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS) were used to confirm the presence of a varnish layer, x-ray fluorescence …

Basket Case: Treatment And Analysis Of A Northwestern California Basket, Stephanie Cashman

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A northwestern California basket was brought to the SUNY Buffalo State Garman Art Conservation Department for treatment and analysis in the fall of 2016. The basketry materials, colorants and fabrication methods were investigated. Material analysis was carried out using polarized light microscopy (PLM) to identify the types of woody plant materials used. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) were performed to better understand possible colorants. Mockups and a 3D model, both digital and printed, were created to gain insight into the construction techniques. Analysis confirmed the baskets place of origin …

Conservation Of A Mid-19th Century Children’S Sofa, Daniel J. Kaping

Art Conservation Master's Projects

The conservation treatment of a small mid-19th century sofa with horsehair upholstery has been performed in this project, with the primary goals of: stabilization, reduction of visual disruption from damage, and detention of original material. This has involved utilizing fill materials and repairs where possible in contrast to traditional reupholstering techniques. Secondary to these goals, analysis and imaging have been performed in order to more closely understand the materials involved in the construction of the sofa, its intended purpose (likely as a child’s plaything), and in hopes of uncovering some of its history and origin. Analytical techniques such …

Toxins In The Collection: Museum Awareness And Protection, Nellie Slocum

Museum Studies Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to discuss museum policies regarding toxic materials used in the creation of an object or added to it as a preservation or pesticide technique. After surveying different museums, it has been found that many museums are unaware of what parts of their collections contain toxic materials. Because of this unfamiliarity with the danger these materials might pose, many museums to not have policies in place regarding them. Toxins in collection items may pose a threat to museum staff who are working with them on a day to day basis. Toxic materials are prevalent in …

Blanket Statements, Issue 134, Summer 2018

Blanket Statements: News Publication of the American Quilt Study Group

Blanket Statements, Issue 134, Summer 2018

Los Productos Textiles De Los Andes Sur-Centrales: Guía Ontológica Centrada En La Región Aymara-Hablante, Denise Y. Arnold

Textile Research Works

El presente libro ofrece una organización ontológica de los productos textiles andinos. A nivel mundial, los museólogos están dando cuenta de la utilidad de este recurso para estructurar sus colecciones de objetos y para vincularlas con datos de respaldo (registros, catálogos, dibujos, fotos, etc.). Una ontología es una especificación explícita de una conceptualización, que proporciona una estructura y los contenidos que codifican las reglas implícitas de una parte de la realidad, en este caso del dominio textil. Aquí presentamos una representación del conocimiento del dominio textil centrada en las ‘formas’ textiles, por decir los tipos de prendas (ahuayo, acso, unco, …

Murmur/Murmuro, Paola M. Di Tolla

Theses and Dissertations

By using repetition or misplacing intonations and accents, etc. one can imitate the slipperiness of spoken language. However, it is the accidental slippage that I find most revealing and exciting because it allows for two conversations to exist in one. Once spoken language is transcribed as text, it is put through another filter and the risk of [accidental] slippage increases by a different measure. Fingers don’t keep up or autocorrect insists on taking matters into its own hands.

Atlanta: Reconstructing A Fractured History, Clayton Odom

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Today we live in a world where the development of our cities has resulted in the destruction of historical and magnificent architecture that stood as monumental symbols of human achievement and evolution. This has been a problem for Atlanta in which the foundations of the city's architectural heritage and legacy has been destroyed as a result of Atlanta's fragmented development over time, leaving the city's architectural legacy and history in a state of fragmented ruin. For Atlanta, it is important to restore this lost architectural heritage by reconstructing the memory of the city's destroyed architectural icons by recreating and reassembling …

Unmaking As Making, Viola Bordon

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

Artist Viola Bordon examines the processes of touch, unmaking, and materially dictated aesthetics regarding her studio practice. The philosophical ideas of absence are used to establish a purpose for undoing, which is then explored as a learning process. This process is complicated by the sense of touch, resulting in formal aesthetics that are materially inspired.

Craft Production And Sociocultural Context: A Case Study Of Nasa Werregue Coiled Basketry In Colombia, Cindy Cordoba Arroyo

LSU Master's Theses

According to the Alliance of Artisan Enterprise from the Aspen Institute, the existence of the artisan enterprise is valuable for native communities since it creates jobs and preserves ancient techniques (Aspen Institute, 2012). The design and development of the Werregue (Astrocaryum Standleyanum) coiled basket is a source of income for indigenous communities in Colombia. This research uses a case study method which employed semi-structured interviews with fifteen skilled Nasa Werregue coiled basketmakers, to analyze the sociocultural characteristics, design, production, and market in Werregue coiled basketry in the Pacific region of Colombia within two research settings, Cali and the …

Strange Woods, Song Park

Graduate School of Art Theses

I am interested in searching for images of women that have not been adequately represented in visual art. As a visual artist, I am directed by my sense of sight to investigate and know something. I like to challenge myself to visualize things that do not already have a visual representation. It has been frustrating for me to create images of women, and I have experienced a deep ambivalence in response to the different images of women I have encountered. The socially and culturally constructed images of women that I have internalized and those that have developed from my own …

The Conservation Treatment And Technical Examination Of A German Impressionist Painting, Sara Kornhauser

Art Conservation Master's Projects

This project details the conservation treatment of the painting Sommergluth (1893) by Hans (Johann Wilhelm) Olde, which was owned by the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Imaging and scientific analysis is used to identify the materials and techniques used by the artist, helping inform the treatment steps. The painting’s most severe condition issue was flaking and cleaving paint along with copious amounts of dirt embedded in an unvarnished paint film with heavy impasto. The research and findings from this project have art historical value for the little-known German artist, with this project being the first known in-depth study. The stabilization and treatment …

Development And Marketing Of A Repurposed Textile Product For Homeless Individuals In Northwest Arkansas, Mckenna Whitaker, Beau Broyles, Lindsey Stone

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

Growing concerns over waste disposal methods have led to a greater focus on recycling efforts in the textile industry. Second only to the oil industry, the textile industry continues to be one of the most wasteful among leading businesses around the world and determining ways to repurpose fashion materials could be a reasonable solution to this growing problem (Dobilaite, V., Mileriene, G., Juciene, M., & Sacevičienė, 2017). In addition to alleviating disposal issues, repurposed materials could serve the humanitarian needs of local communities, and even more importantly, could specifically benefit homeless populations. The purpose of this project was to design, …

A Sumitography: A Listing Of Postage Stamps Celebrating Contributions To Civil And Human Rights By Martin Luther King Jr. And Associates, Lillie R. Jenkins

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

This "sumitography" (from Latin "sumit" means postage stamp) is a listing of postage stamps celebrating contributions to civil right and human rights by Martin Luther King Jr. and associates. In addition to USA postage stamps, this listing includes stamps from other nations, including Cuba, Ghana, Sweden, Turks & Caicos Islands, and others. Also included are postage stamps honoring King associates--in the struggle for civil and human rights, Mohandas K. Gandi, Rosa Partks, A. Philp Randolph, and Malcolm X.