Art Practice Commons^™

Felt: Leaning Into The Chaotic, Fafnir Adamites

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This presentation is a reflection on felt as a chaos structure, an underdog and a queer material capable of offering a physical manifestation of exhilarating, transformative possibility. Images of artwork from my own studio practice will act as orientation points to examine the physical and the psychological. The physical exploration includes the intrinsic characteristics of wool as well as the material transformation of the wet felting process. The psychological aspects include opportunities to embrace intuitive, collaborative and expansive ways of making. Writing on feltmaking as it relates to the canon of textile scholarship will also be examined. Viewing felt through …

A Contribution To The Preservation And Revival Of The Cabo Verdean Pano D’Obra Textiles, Maggy Fragoso

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Textiles from Cabo Verde were highly prized for trading along the West African coast, from the second half of the 16^th century to the end of the 18^th century. They originated from the fusion of different cultural sources making their design visually distinct from the other textiles of West Africa: slave weavers were taken to Cabo Verde by the Portuguese and with their characteristic narrow strip looms, which had to be adjusted, were made to weave textiles with North African patterns and Christian references.

From the 19^th century, a marked decline in the manufacture of these historic …

Materializing Memory Through Quilted Cod: “Making Fish” As Memorial, Gina Granter

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Cod is so central to the history of Newfoundland that the process of salting and drying it is there called “making fish.” For nearly 500 years, Newfoundlanders made fish to ship globally until 1992 when the Canadian government announced an indefinite and ongoing moratorium on its cod fishery, changing the island forever. My presentation is about my own “making fish” from textiles while researching the history of cod in Newfoundland textile arts. When I first cut pieces of fabric into the triangular shapes of a salted cod split, I wanted a garland of quilted fish for my Christmas tree in …

Threads Of Tradition: Unraveling The Shifting Semiotics Of Phulkari Embroidery From Past To Present, Gurvinder Kaur Gundev, Anjali Karolia

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This research paper examines intricate Phulkari embroidery, originating from the culturally rich region of Punjab, traces its historical roots and examines the evolving semiotics of this vibrant craft. The study commences with an exploration of the language embedded in Phulkari during its inception, analysing the symbolic meanings stitched into the intricate patterns and vibrant colours. Through a meticulous examination of archival materials, oral histories, and traditional artifacts, the research uncovers the nuanced cultural narratives expressed through Phulkari, serving as a communicative art form that transcends language barriers and articulates the wearer's identity, beliefs, and aspirations. A pivotal juncture in Phulkari's …

Pieces Of Eight: Diagonal Color Stripes And Beyond, Marilyn Emerson Holtzer

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The most common form of tablet-woven, diagonal color stripes employs four-hole tablets and yields narrow bands having diagonal stripes in two colors. The twining directions of selected groups of cords can be reversed along a diagonal to create patterning. An extension of this technique to six-hole tablets having three-color diagonal stripes has been published. Here, I describe the weaving of textiles having diagonal four-color stripes using eight-hole tablets. Direct extension of the canonical technique to eight-hole tablets yields textiles with the desired striping, but they are thick and have less distinct patterning. Thinner, more tightly woven textiles can be obtained …

Textile Resource Center: On Generosity & Growth Of The Collection, Danielle Lasker

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Library & Special Collections department is home to the Textile Resource Center--a haptic collection of over 500 textile objects and some 2,000 books related to various textile topics. Objects range from contemporary production up to 500-600 years old and origins all around the world. The texts range across topics such as weaving, individual artists, lace making, exhibition catalogs, crochet, critical theory, and more. The TRC primarily serves the department of Fiber & Material Studies where the collection is physically housed, but also attracts visitors from across SAIC and beyond. Prior to onboarding …

“What Was Before”: Lenore Tawney And Her Circle, 1950–1963, Rebecca Mcnamara

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Lenore Tawney (1907–2007) was a pioneer of 20th-century fiber arts, a position solidified by the pivotal 1963 Woven Forms exhibition at New York’s Museum of Contemporary Crafts. But her journey to this moment is less well-known. This presentation explores the preceding years, when Tawney decided, with great intention, to dedicate her life to art, relocated from Chicago to New York, and in her work, shifted (though not seamlessly nor all at once) from weaving functional objects like table mats—as shown at Chicago's first Good Design exhibition, in 1950—to colorful, figurative, dense wall tapestries to the abstract, open-weave sculptural hangings in …

Shifts & Strands: Rethinking The Possibilities And Potentials Of Textiles: Textile Society Of America 2024 Symposium--Full Program With Abstracts

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles

Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event

Theme and mission

Accessibility statement

About the 2024 symposium logo

Letter from the President, Isaac Facio

Letter from the Co-Vice President, Sharbreon Plummer

Letter from the Co-Vice President Symposia Chair, L Vinebaum

2024 symposium acknowledgements

Symposium organizers

Program agenda

Keynote and plenary sessions

Session abstracts

Awards and scholarships

Congratulations to the 2024 Founding President awardees

2024 winner of the R. L. Shep Award

2024 Student / New Professional Scholarship recipients

Repatriation And Conservation, Sandra Sardjono, Kristal Hale, Christopher Buckley, Saiful Bakhri, Absari Hanifah

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Textile represents one of the most important cultural heritages in Indonesia and is an integral part of social and religious lives of traditional communities. Due to colonial impact, shifts in indigenous belief systems and values, modernization, and tourism, many textiles have left their original environments. Many gained new contexts as museum objects housed in regional museums or private collections in Indonesia and abroad.

In Indonesian museums, these objects are cared for by museum staff with various backgrounds and levels of expertise, who are shifted to new positions every two-three years by the Indonesian Ministry. This methodology is intended as a …

Tactility And Historicity In Contemporary Textile Art: The Greek Example, Markia Liapi

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The following presentation focuses on studying contemporary textile art through two concepts, originating from contemporary theory of art, tactility and historicity. While tactility describes aesthetic, and specifically tactile qualites of textiles as pieces of art, historicity focuses on more theoretical concerns that the artistic piece proposes on the viewer. The paper analyses these two tools as a stystem of examining and, also, enjoying contemporary textile art, focusing on a concrete paradigm, the example of three contemporary Greek artists, Voula Massoura, Giwta Andriakaina and Artemis Alcalay. The artistic production of these artists is a valuable example of seeing textile art in …

The Stamina Of Things: Jean Toury's Nightshirt, Janet Pollock

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

“Stamina. from Latin stamen (Pliny), literally "foundation in weaving, thread of the warp" ......also threads spun by the Fates.”

A seasoned forager of forest and flea markets, I have tempered my eye to both the unassuming and the unexpected. I make and study textiles of every stripe. The subject of my presentation, this nightshirt, traveled 5500 miles and 80 years to reach my neck of the woods. Tailor-made and monogrammed, well-worn and deeply stained, it was suddenly dispatched into the world, to be sold "as is". I asked and was given a name, a place and a date. Jean Toury. …

The Petticoat: Details Of A Forgotten Garment In Mexico City (1900–1910), Nallely Rangel Vázquez

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

During Porfirian government, Mexican society experienced a flourishing of the textile industry driven by state policies that encouraged both the rise of the national industry and foreign investment. This process was perceived from the daily life of the capital, through the windows of silk shops, shoe shops, warehouses and, above all, the imposing department store El Palacio de Hierro. One of the garments that was designed to fit at the waist and cover the legs was the petticoat, which was assumed to be a piece of female underwear. In this article, I am interested in unravelling details findings about this …

Woven Symphony: Exploring The Parallels Between Weaving And Music, Qianwen Yu

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Weaving and music are art forms often perceived as unrelated but actually share deep connections and fascinating similarities. In this presentation, I will first briefly introduce the impact of the 19th-century Jacquard loom on the invention of the Player Piano, a musical technology that evolved into the modern "MIDI" computer audio notation system. Second, I will explore the similarities found in both weaving and musical composition by presenting some of my own media installation art works. These works translate musical scores into woven textures, and vice versa, creating symphonies and revealing new sensory ways to appreciate textiles and music. I …

Exploring The Effects Of Art Therapy Interventions On Self-Evaluations Of Food Addiction: A Randomized Control Study, Dawn Fiacco

Art Therapy | Doctoral Dissertations

Processed sugar is highly addictive and associated with chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Often, people know that eating processed sugar has negative health consequences but continue to do so, possibly for emotional reasons. The gap between knowledge and behavior makes treating eating issues difficult. Art therapy is a nonverbal modality and could possibly circumvent usual rationalizations, making it an effective way to bridge the cognitive and emotional aspects of problematic eating. This randomized control, mixed methods study was conducted to examine whether a 7-week art directive program could help people with self-identified problematic …

Blanket Statements, Issue 166, Seminar 2024

Blanket Statements: News Publication of the American Quilt Study Group

Blanket Statements, Issue 166, Seminar 2024

Preventive Conservation Of Easel Paintings For Collectors In China: Navigating Challenges And Exploring Feasible Solutions, Di Lu

MA Theses

This thesis explores the unique challenges faced by art collectors in China, particularly those investing in easel paintings amidst the rapid growth of the Chinese art market. These collectors, often constrained by budget limitations and limited access to high-quality conservation materials and expertise, face significant risks in preserving their cultural assets. The study delves into these specific risks and challenges, aiming to identify feasible strategies for preventive conservation within the Chinese context. Through an extensive review of literature, qualitative interviews with conservators, collectors, and experts, and in-depth case studies, this research offers practical, cost-effective recommendations for alternative materials and methods …

Towards Sustainable Exhibition Practices: Assessing And Enhancing Sustainability In Art Exhibitions, Cato Wong

MA Theses

Given the high degree of environmental impact of mega-scale art exhibitions, it is imperative to have strict environmental conservation policies in place to improve sustainability in the art industry. Sustainability is an inevitable future; thus, this study is designed to find the reality of sustainability in the art sector through surveys. Fundamentally, the study aims to study the current sustainable practices, identify the challenges, and discover the intervention points that can be used to enhance environmental stewardship. This study establishes a solid scientific basis for making knowledgeable decisions with the goal of improving environmental efficiency, lessening carbon emission intensity, and …

Heart Neighbors Art Café Business Plan, Wei Hsuan Chen

MA Projects

Heart Neighbors Art Café is a unique establishment that combines a coffee shop with an art gallery, aimed at creating a vibrant cultural hub in the Wenshan District of Taipei City. Our mission extends beyond serving delicious coffee and providing a comfortable environment; we aspire to foster community cohesion and cultural exchange through the power of art. The philosophy of Heart Neighbors Café is to use coffee to open the heart doors between strangers and art as a means of self-expression. Through respect, inclusivity, and attentive listening, individuals accompany each other, bringing warmth to every lonely soul. The fusion of …

Unfolding Remembrance: Folding Islamic Principles Into Pondering Machines, Hind Al Saad Al-Kuwari

Theses and Dissertations

Principles of early Islamic art can be surveyed as a precursor to Western computational art. Though produced in different historical and cultural contexts, Islamic art and computational art are connected by underlying structures—arithmetic, harmony, and the concept of the Infinite.

Islamic developments in knowledge, like algebra, contributed to mathematics and mechanics—the building blocks of contemporary technology. Returning to Islam’s traditional harmony between religion and science, my creative practice constructs machines as an act of worship (ʿibadah), folding Islamic principles into the medium of computation.

Selected verses from the Quran are used as the core of each automaton (self-operating machine). Their …

Five Quilts As Claims About Collage, Teaching, Learning & Being Together, Tim Abel

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

How can quilting and collage act as creative methods and modes of permission for understanding ways of relating in learning spaces, while also working to help make visible the interrelated nature of being together. Through the networking of personal reflection, lyric essay, theory and concrete reflections related to teaching, this presentation will take five examples of quilts (expansively defined as quilts, quilt-tops, collages, reclaimed and accumulated materials, collective/invitational works) as a way to make space for claims related to collage and pedagogy. This woven investigation helps to scaffod the learning process as a series of interconnected strands because when I …