An article on textile artists

[caterina]

Hello.
I am not sure that it should go under the "Books" heading, but here is an article that I found fascinating about some new textile artists from all over the world, describing how they came to revive ancient textile techniques.

www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-6-rising-contemporary-artists-traditional-craft-techniques

Caterina

[MTRuth]

Thanks for the link Caterina, this is a perfect place to put it.

[lyn]

Very interesting read!

[lindsay]

Yes, really interesting, thanks, Caterina.

[Ann @ frabjous fabrica]

I'm afraid that I just could not connect with that article - it was way above my head. It would have helped I think if it had been possible to get a close-up look at the works we were shown, so that we could see what type of work the artists were creating.

I actually found this article www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-embracing-craft  much more interesting and "readable".

There are times when I find the narrative in the world of art decidedly high-falutin, and, to be honest, a lot of "artist's statements" to be pretentious claptrap.  But I like this statement in the Art Embracing Craft article:  "You can make a strong case that the long-standing marginalization of the crafts—and the self-evidently crazy idea that painting isn’t one—was just the art world’s way of practicing sexism and racism, barely disguised as a policing of disciplines rather than people."  (my italics)
Though obviously more progress seems to be being made in America than in the UK, and I suspect that by the time craft is widely accepted as art here I'll have dropped off my perch!

[caterina]

Jun 13, 2021 17:58:42 GMT Ann @ frabjous fabrica said:

I'm afraid that I just could not connect with that article - it was way above my head. It would have helped I think if it had been possible to get a close-up look at the works we were shown, so that we could see what type of work the artists were creating.

I actually found this article www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-art-embracing-craft  much more interesting and "readable".

There are times when I find the narrative in the world of art decidedly high-falutin, and, to be honest, a lot of "artist's statements" to be pretentious claptrap.  But I like this statement in the Art Embracing Craft article:  "You can make a strong case that the long-standing marginalization of the crafts—and the self-evidently crazy idea that painting isn’t one—was just the art world’s way of practicing sexism and racism, barely disguised as a policing of disciplines rather than people."  (my italics)
Though obviously more progress seems to be being made in America than in the UK, and I suspect that by the time craft is widely accepted as art here I'll have dropped off my perch!

I have read that article as well, Ann, thank you for linking it here. The same sentences that you are quoting struck me.

To be honest, I liked both, but I felt that the one with the six artists was more practical, and I liked to hear how each artist approached his/her particular craft. Also, the fact that they are recognised artists means that we are seeing craft becoming mainstream art right now: it seems encouraging. Although, I have to say, we have seen textile art since the 60s at least...I remember my mum telling me of a friend of hers, the artist Sandra Marconato, who made those weaved textural works from the 60s onwards. So, it has been there, not much recognised as mainstream maybe.

[Shepherdess]

I think it is complicated. Sculpture in all forms seems to have managed to work its way over to the art side.

I hear things like its not art because art has something to say but that isn't true I don't think a painting of a lake and trees has much "to say" so I am not really sure what art is other than when someone says art everyone assumes they mean painting and if you mean anything else you have to qualify it. I have noticed there is more non-painting art in shows I see listed. So hopefully things are moving in the right direction.

Ann, I agree artist statements usually sound very funny to me. I have read some funny things as descriptions beside pieces too, where it seems someone has spent as much time crafting a statement to make the piece fit the theme of a show as making the piece.