Art and Materials Conservation Commons^™

Transformative Power Of Stitchery: Sashiko From Cold Regions Of Japan And Embroidery Work Of The Nui Project, Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This paper seeks to reveal the transformative power of stitchery by examining textile practices in Japan and articulating how a threaded needle can be viewed as the co-agent of stitchers, infusing their materials with properties in a “processual” and relational manner that reflects the currents of their lifeworld.^[1] I will contrast and compare two practices, one ancient and one modern, one responding to life’s necessities and the other simply to the act of stitching. In the ancient world, stitchery was essential for human survival, and later in rural Japan, sashiko stitchery was a medium that connected textiles with daily …

Where Can Objects Take You? The Case Of The World War Ii Japanese Airman's Suit, Madelyn Shaw, Trish Fitzsimons

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

“Dad always said that ‘It’s made out of Australian wool,’ and I thought that was just a joke because you couldn’t see how the Japanese would get hold of Australian wool during the war…. But it is a fine material…. They weren’t scrapping for something to wear.” —Wally Lanagan

In December 1942, the Yokosuka Military Department manufactured, surely among hundreds of others, a flying suit, which may or may not have ever been worn by a Japanese pilot. It did, however, end up on display at the Pioneer Park Museum in Dalby, a small town in rural Queensland, Australia. It …

Textile Memory In Colchane: Weavers Revitalizing The Aymara Tradition, Soledad Hoces De La Guardia

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

In Aymara culture, textiles have played a fundamental role as highly valued community possessions and significant media for ritual and tradition. In Chilean territory, the Colchane community has been fortunate, because they have here retained, with fidelity and vigor, their culture and traditional textile practices. However, the average age of active weavers is rising and those younger do not have the technical expertise of their elders, which has led to the loss of a significant part of traditional technical knowledge.

To not forget the “handwork” became an urgent concern for artisans in the community, members of the Aymar Warmi association, …

Viscacha: Luxury, Fate And Identification In Precolumbian Textiles, Elena Phipps, Caroline Solazzo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Since the sixteenth century, references by Spanish chroniclers to the use of chinchilla hair (Andean rodents of several species including viscacha) by Andean weavers indicate that the fine hair of these animals had been incorporated into textiles. Their fine soft hair, often mottled in color, has distinctive characteristics which vary and, as a result, make them difficult to identify. Some archaeological finds, primarily in Chile have reported viscacha skins and fur bags, but few if any reports have identified the presence of textiles or spun yarns that incorporate this special fiber. The depiction of the animal takes on special meaning …

Unseen, Unheard, Unnamed: The Matchless And Unsung Heroes Of The Textile Art And Craft Of Rajasthan, Simrita Singh, Anu H. Gupta

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Rajasthan is known for its exquisite handicrafts, especially the textiles. In spite of having the most vibrant and glorious traditions, this sector has been grossly unorganized due to the poor socio-economic status of the artisans. The educational background of the artisans also is not satisfactory; hence, they lack public relations skills. They are totally dependent on big traders and middlemen for marketing purposes. Moreover, in this era of labels and designers, the artisans, however skilled or endowed they may be, have to work under some renowned brand or name to have a regular livelihood. However, not all artisans are lucky …

Artistic Philanthropy And Women’S Emancipation In Early Twentieth-Century Italy, In The Life And The Work Of Romeyne Robert And Carolina Amari, Ruggero Ranieri

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Romeyne Robert, married as Ranieri di Sorbello, started an embroidery school in 1904 in Umbria, at the family’s country estate of Pischiello. Her goal was to teach young peasant women to emancipate themselves by learning the craft of embroidery. She was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement in America and by contemporary programs developed in settlement houses along the East Coast. Their aim was to help the emancipation of immigrant women from Italy by fostering the recovery of artisan skills. At the Sorbello Embroidery School, Romeyne rediscovered the Renaissance technique originally called the punto Umbro, later renamed punto Sorbello. …

Tribal Textiles And The Mingei Circle In Japan: Muneyoshi Yanagi’S View On Carpet, Yumiko Kamada

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Tribal carpets and textiles have been enthusiastically collected by connoisseurs and ordinary people in Europe and the United States for years. Along with a number of publications on tribal carpets and textiles, several recent exhibitions such as Portable Storage: Tribal Weavings from the Collection of William and Inger Ginsberg at the Metropolitan Museum of Art indicate a keen academic interest in the West. In contrast, tribal carpets and textiles did not gain the attention of the majority of Japanese. However, some Japanese, especially Yanagi Muneyoshi and his friends in the Mingei circle, notably Hamada Shoji, Serizawa Keisuke, and Tonomura Kichinosuke, …

The Modern Formulation Of Chinese Art History And The Building Of A Nation In Early Twentieth-Century China, Chennie Huang

Dissertations and Theses

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the Chinese formulation of art history underwent dramatic changes. It moved away from the traditional narratives that did not follow a strict chronology to adopt the Western linear model which emphasizes progress and national identity. Based on the premodern tradition, the modern formulations of Chinese art history began as a political strategy for nation building amid the political upheavals, including military attacks on China that led to the end of Qing imperial rule and the beginning of the Republican era (1912-1949).

In the early 1900s, while exiled in Japan, Liang Qichao 梁啟超 (1873-1929), …

Blanket Statements, Issue 146, Seminar 2020

Blanket Statements: News Publication of the American Quilt Study Group

Blanket Statements, Issue 146, Seminar 2020

Woven By The Grandmothers: The Development Of The National Museum Of The American Indian Throughout The 1990s, Lucy Winokur

Scripps Senior Theses

In 1994, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) opened the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City, the first of what would be three campuses. Ten years later, in 2004, the NMAI opened its main campus in Washington, D.C., already having cemented their place as leaders in a movement to center indigenous voices within museums housing indigenous material culture. By examining the history of the NMAI from the first acquisition of George Gustav Heye to its earliest approaches to exhibition design and collections management policy in the 1990s, it is possible to track the development of the …

Coalescent: A Collection Of Defining Life Experiences, Stephanie A. Dishno

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Coalescent: A Collection of Defining Life Experiences, reflects on my experiences and curiosities of important life events that a person may use to construct their narrative identity. In this paper, I discuss my reflections, influences, and materials used to create my thesis exhibition, Coalescent. I describe my work as a collection of life experiences that are used to construct a narrative identity.

Permutation, Ryan K. Caldwell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Caldwell, Ryan, M.F.A, Spring 2020 Ceramics

Abstract:

Chairperson: Trey Hill

Permutation, is an exploitation of utilitarian pottery and domesticity within the gallery setting through the use of handmade tables and cabinetry. The gallery is transformed into a more comfortable environment and exhibits a casual essence. This paper explores the thoughts, interpretations, influences, reflections, and definitions of his most recent work created for his Masters of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition. Caldwell presents his work as an ongoing continuum of conceptual research and physical exploration of form and surface.

Rise, Fall And Renaissance Of Graffiti, Georgina S. Hallowell

Capstones

In a losing battle against street artists, “Make your mark in society, not on society” was the statement written in bold letters on Mayor Ed Koch’s 1982 anti-graffiti campaign. Graffiti writers decided why not? We’ll do both.

New York has witnessed the rise, fall, and renaissance of graffiti culture. There was a time when a “mark” on your property was considered vandalism. Today, those marks are used to drive profit, attract tourists, keep neighborhoods alive and are more than welcome through the doors of museums and galleries around the world. From scribbled tags to murals, graffiti writers have completely changed …

Ciencia De Las Mujeres: Experiencias En La Cadena Textil Desde Los Ayllus De Challapata, Denise Y. Arnold, Elvira Espejo

Textile Research Works

En el contexto de la crisis económica que atravesó Bolivia en los años ochenta, una comunidad de puna de pastores andinos, Livichuco, que forma parte integral del ayllu mayor de Qaqachaka, emprendió por iniciativa propia un proceso de mejoramiento de su producción textil, con un programa de rescate de los tintes naturales de la región. Con recursos mínimos, los comunarios compraron ollas y bateas metálicas, y comenzaron a preguntar a las personas mayores sobre sus conocimientos prácticos tradicionales en el ámbito de la tinción de textiles. Durante un período de diez años, y en coordinación con varias instituciones —incluida la …

Japanese Paper And Paper Conservation, Kei Takahashi

Honor’s College Freeman Research Journal

Washi is a Japanese handmade paper which has very long traditions. There are many types of washi in Japan but there are three main types of paper which are the kozo, mitsumata, and gampi paper. Kozo paper is made of mulberry fibers and the most well-known and has the highest production in Japan. Mitsumata and Gampi paper are made of tree of daphne fibers but the process of these two papers are different and Gampi paper is the highest quality of paper compared to the other two types papers. Before washi was created, the handmade paper originally came from …

Textile Society Of America Newsletter 31:2—Fall 2019, Textile Society Of America

Textile Society of America: Newsletters

Letter from the President

TSA News:
Announcing the 2019 Fellows of the Textile Society of America
New Professionals Convening: Envisioning Textiles Futures
Observations of New Professionals Convening: Envisioning Textiles Futures
Board Workshop with artEquity
Announcing Research Travel Grant Recipients
Textiles Close Up: Textiles Old and New in Detroit’s Cultural Center
Cooper Hewitt’s Object of the Day Blog Hosts TSA Members for NYC Textile Month

In Memoriam: Marion Coleman

In Memoriam: Archie Brennan

TSA Symposium News
17th Biennial Symposium: Hidden Stories/Human Lives
16th Biennial Symposium Workshop Review: Rediscovering the Potential of WARP(S)

International Exhibitions

Featured Article
A Land of Light and …

Blanket Statements, Issue 140, Fall 2019

Blanket Statements: News Publication of the American Quilt Study Group

Blanket Statements, Issue 140, Fall 2019

Treasury For The Diseased: A Book Re-Made Across Four Centuries, Bailey Kinsky

Art Conservation Master's Projects

No abstract provided.

The Rainbow Connection: Treatment And Analysis Of Hand-Colored Photographs, Courtney Helion

Art Conservation Master's Projects

The colors from two historic photographs, hand-coloring kits, and hand-colored mock-ups created from the hand-coloring kits were analyzed to identify their chemical compositions and binders, and to determine whether there were preferred conventional or proprietary pigments used in the hand-coloring of historic photographs. This information will benefit future analysis of historical hand-colored photographs and the development and implementation of treatment plans and goals. The photographs were examined and analyzed using Multimodality Imaging, Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF).

Sankofa: The Conservation Treatment And Analysis Of “The Surveying Of Washington, Dc By Benjamin Banneker”, Lastarsha Dee Mcgarity

Art Conservation Master's Projects

At the 1940 American Negro Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, a series of thirty-three dioramas were exhibited, and twenty of these dioramas were later given to Tuskegee University, where they later entered the collection of the Legacy Museum. Through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Diversity Initiative, the Legacy Museum’s dioramas are being or have been treated at the Winterthur University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The history, analysis, and treatment of “The Surveying of Washington, DC by Benjamin Banneker” will be the focus …

Investigation And Treatment Of A 17th-Century Antiphonary, Clara Huisman

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A seventeenth-century Roman Catholic manuscript antiphonary was researched, examined, and technically analyzed. Research and examination identified the book’s general provenance and contents and provided an understanding of the binding’s production and its interventions. Imaging techniques and Optical Microscopy identified the material components. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) confirmed the cover’s painting to be a later addition to the binding. Conservation treatment was designed to restore the book’s mobility while adding a minimum of new materials and preserving previous repairs. The textblock leaves were stabilized, the cupped upper board was corrected, and the binding was reinforced.

Conservation Treatment Of A 16th- 17th Century Panel Painting Attributed To Paul Brill, Jen Munch

Art Conservation Master's Projects

An oil painting on red oak panel, attributed to Paul Brill, was examined and treated. Structural issues resulting from the failure of an attached cradle system and a prior insect infestation of the wood support were addressed using a combination of modern and traditional methods and materials, including the removal of the cradle and the fabrication and attachment of a new flexible auxiliary support. An aged, discolored varnish layer and discolored prior inpainting were also addressed. Scientific analysis included the use of two X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) techniques, Spot XRF and Scanning XRF, to characterize materials used in the …

Experimental Loss Techniques For The Filling And Inpainting Of Horizon ’72: A Screenprint By Noriko Yamamoto Prince, Carolyn Burns

Art Conservation Master's Projects

Filling and inpainting uniformly flat screenprinted surfaces present unique challenges for conservators. Research and experimentation identified successful loss compensation techniques for an eight-color screenprint entitled Horizon ’72 by Noriko Yamamoto Prince. Damages to the printed surface were extensive and trials revealed the insufficiency of traditional paper conservation inpainting practices. Digital fills, already used in textile and photo conservation, provided a practicable option for treatment. Colored inks from the original print were recreated digitally and printed on a high quality inkjet printer using pigment-based inks. An X-Rite spectrophotometer was used to compare L*a*b* values and reflectance spectra of the digitally …

Conservation And Structural Intervention Of A Writing Table, Karen Bishop

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A wooden writing table from the Buffalo History Museum was received for conservation treatment at Buffalo State College to address an inherent structural issue. Longwave ultraviolet (UVA) induced visible fluorescence and reflected UVA imaging were utilized in addition to x-radiography to document the table’s condition upon arrival. An artist interview was conducted and referenced to help guide formulation of a treatment plan. Structural intervention was carried out to create new mortise-and-tenon joints which utilized laminated bentwood tenons. Surface accretions were removed and an overcoat of polyurethane varnish was applied to unify the damaged surface.

An In-Depth Technical Analysis And Treatment Of A Floral Still Life Painting, Elizabeth Robson

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A floral still life painting believed to be of Flemish origin was examined using a variety of imaging and analytical techniques to better understand its materials and history. A palette including lead white, vermilion, orpiment, and ultramarine was confirmed, and the glue paste lining was also analyzed. The provenance and attribution of the painting was researched extensively, and it was concluded that it is more likely French than Dutch, created in the late 17th or early 18th century. Finally, aesthetic and structural treatments were undertaken to clean and stabilize the surface, revealing additional original detail and colors.

Analysis And Conservation Of A Chikara, Kaitlyn Wright

Art Conservation Master's Projects

A stringed musical instrument from the Buffalo Museum of Science was received for conservation treatment at Buffalo State College. Historical research, examination of previous interventions through imaging techniques, and material analysis were carried out to possibly place the instrument in a historical context and create an understanding of its fabrication. Transmission-Fourier transform infrared microscopy (Transmission-FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS), x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and microchemical testing were utilized to understand the coatings on the body of the instrument. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) was performed on the fibers, hair, and wood to understand the materials used in manufacture and their possible …

Blanket Statements, Issue 139, Summer 2019

Blanket Statements: News Publication of the American Quilt Study Group

Blanket Statements, Issue 139, Summer 2019

Book Review: Palaces For The People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, And The Decline Of Civic Life, Eric Klinenberg, Georgia Westbrook

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Skin, Bones + Bags: Investigating The Death Of Marine Ecosystems, Rylie Walter

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

Plastic has become ubiquitous in the oceans. Although a convenient and cheap way to distribute goods around the world, plastic is also a leading cause for the death of many marine ecosystems. Walter explores her personal connection to the ocean, researches the relationship between plastic pollution and the ocean, and examines art as a means for inciting social change to protect and restore ocean environments. By using plastic as her main material for making art, Walter transforms the material from one that harms into one that can be calming and peaceful, while still representing the destruction it causes.

Universe Of Things: A Human Presentation Of Food-For-Thought., Madeline Halpern

Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Papers

I present this statement under three loose categories: People, Objects and their Environment. I consider People as human, Objects as art objects, domestic objects, and food, and Environment as the shared space of the former groups. Food directs this statement as I present each concept and creative process as a metaphorical dish. Material exploration carried me from a direct practice of reorienting acrylic paint and questioning object functionality through personified sculptures into theoretical thesis work in which I use interpersonal relations and the idea of consumption to translate tactile, gustatory and olfactory sensations into digital film. In this meal I …