Tali Weinberg, Executive Director, Textile Society of America

The Textile Society of America is very pleased to announce the appointment of Tali Weinberg as the new Executive Director. Tali brings a decade of experience working for nonprofits and a knowledge of textiles that reaches across disciplines, creative practices, and national borders. Prior to joining TSA, Tali was the Program Officer for Global Goods Partners (GGP), a nonprofit that creates economic opportunity for artisans in marginalized communities around the world. At GGP Tali managed programs that generated income for thousands of women and oversaw a small-grants program that provided funds for community-led development projects and training for artisans. To increase the reach of GGP she implemented new communications strategies and developed leadership opportunities for college students in the US. As a consultant for America Jewish World Service, a global grassroots-development organization, Tali expanded a fellowship program to send college graduates to volunteer with community-based organizations in Asia and the Americas. In addition, she worked for Sanmitra Trust in Mumbai, India, The Coexistence Initiative, and for volunteer and advocacy programs at New York University’s Bronfman Center.

Tali is also an artist, curator, and educator whose art practice draws from a number of textile techniques including weaving and natural dyeing. Her work has been shown at the Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts in San Francisco, the Textile Arts Center (TAC) in Brooklyn, and other venues in California and New York. From 2012-2013 she co-directed PLAySPACE, an exhibition program at California College of the Arts (CCA). In 2011 Tali curated “Good Work,” an exhibition on textiles and labor featuring artists and designers from around the world. She received her MFA from CCA in 2013 and holds a BA in International Development and an interdisciplinary MA with honors from New York University. She lives in Berkley, California. We welcome her to TSA and look forward to working with her.

Dear TSA members and friends, 

It is a pleasure and a privilege to step into this role at such an exciting moment for the TSA. I look forward to getting to know all of you in the years to come and seeing many of you at the 2014 Symposium in Los Angeles. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas you have for how we can better serve your needs. It is the knowledge, experience, and support of our diverse membership that makes TSA what it is. 

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Char Cosby, Ellyane Hutchison, and our volunteer Board and Task Representatives for their incredible work over the years. Their dedication and energy have grown TSA to what it is today and paved the way for new developments to come. 

Warmly, 

Tali

Tali will establish the new TSA National Office in Berkeley, California and oversee the operations of the organization, working closely with the Board.  The email contact for TSA remains the same, though the mailing address and telephone are new:

Tali Weinberg, Executive Director

Textile Society of America

PO Box 5617

Berkeley, CA 94705

510-363-4541

tsa@textilesociety.org

Today at MOMA I was curious about the different textile-related art that might be on view. Wandering through the building I came across some interesting pieces—but it was later in the afternoon when I met up with Shelia Hicks she told me to go look at the Architecture and Design gallery.

There was a wonderful installation of some favorites—The Magdalena Abakanowicz (Yellow Abakan, 1967-68, sisal), a Lenor Tawney (Little River, 1968, linen) and two Shelia Hicks (The Evolving Tapestry: He/She 1967-68, linen and silk and Prayer Rug, 1965, wool)

The monumentality and presence of these pieces were really great—all from the 1960s in an era when artists working in the textile and fiber medium were truly pioneers. And the size and space they occupy is altered by their physical tactile character.

The Abakanowicz was great to see—it has been a long time since I have seen one in person—but surprising as it is made of sisal. Sisal as many of you know is a fiber that has a very short self life: it is used in farming, for example, to tie bundles of hay—something used for a very short time period. It degrades, turns acidic (sorry this is the textile conservator in me) and is very difficult for long-term preservation. Yet the piece looks fresh and haunting—sensual in its form though friendlier than I remember.

The Tawney piece—not my favorite of hers—has a rigidity in its structure- surprising as it is made of linen—but the geometry and symmetries punctuated by horizontal bars hold its purity of form.

Tawney (left hanging) and Hicks (right hanging and floor piece)

The Hicks—the playful slump of woven mounds evokes a pleasure of cloth and soft forms—laid like woven bricks but conforming to its own shape and dimension. So too the Prayer rug casts its burden downwards, gravity with depth and weight, hints of orange silk peeking through the shaggy surface.

Shelia commented that every time these pieces are installed in a museum setting, it is a surprise for her, as each time, depending on who handles and places them, they are different.

But before I leave MOMA there was one other piece that caught my eye:

Auerbach Untitled painting

A painting by Tauba Auerbach, Untitled 2012, synthetic polymer paint on canvas.

Obviously someone who also loves textiles.

 Elena Phipps

At weddings, the gift from the mother’s side will be textiles, and the man’s family will present metal objects or ivory. Similarly, textiles are also the first gifts for a newborn child and at funerals textiles are given as well. This was an important theme that ran through the well organized and amazing Study Tour, Textiles Close Up: Indonesia at the Yale University Art Gallery.

We were shown one of the earliest textiles in the collection, which is radiocarbon dated from the 16th century and in very good condition despite its age. From Sulawesi and remarkable for its virtuosity in ikat technique, this textile was woven with a continuous warp creating a tubular skirt. Instead of the textile being taken off the loom, cut, and sewn, the final weft was inserted by hand for finishing without a seam, a technique no longer practiced in Indonesia. The Toraja from Sulawesi stored their textiles using sandalwood and various leaves and roots, which repelled insects and led to their good preservation.

Indonesia, Sulawesi, 16th century, women’s skirt, warp ikat; cotton
Yale University Art Gallery

Indian double ikat silks, or patolas, which were made in Gujarat, India, were influential on the textiles of Southeast Asia. When the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia after 1500, they realized that in order to gain access to the Indonesian spice trade, they had to barter Indian patolas. They found that they had already been exchanged and treasured in Southeast Asia by that time. In Sumba, located a few islands to the east of Bali, textiles typically show stylized figures along with horses, fish, and shrimp. Some however, display the Indian influence.

Indonesia, Sumba, ikat, influenced by Indian patolas
Indonesia, Lembata, backstrap loom
Yale University Art Gallery

One of my favorite textiles was an Iban ikat from Borneo using an intricate, almost dizzying, tiger (remaung) pattern. The piece is not a literal representation of a tiger but captures the spirituality of the animal. It has strength and grace, with the essence of danger.

Borneo, Sarawak, Iban, late 19th century, warp ikat; cotton
ceremonial cloth (pua kumbu)
Yale University Art Gallery

Within the first hour of the symposium the amount of information we received from the incredible Dr. Ruth Barnes was amazing. We discussed at least 12 textiles, looked at the Javanese gold display (arranged by Dr. Barnes in terms of their functional use) and touched on some of the wooden objects – pointed out to us were the Iban carved wooden blocks, which were used for stamping tattoo patterns.

A delicious lunch followed at the Union League Café (they had individual French coffee presses filled to the brim!), and we were able to visit with each other.

We then traveled to the west campus, where we were given a tour and shown, among other items, a book on the Javanese batik process; a Toraja bark cloth, beaten very fine and painted; a women’s ceremonial skirt from South Sumatra with satin stitch embroidery; a vest from Sumatra; a batik with gold painting (kain prada); and a fabulous batik from Java – truly an example of a wax-resist textile at its height of refinement.

Indonesia, Java, 19th century, wax-resist batik
Yale University Art Galler

A reception at Mona Berman’s Fine Arts gallery was the icing on the cake. Mona wined and dined us and we were able to see her collection of world textiles. A fitting end to a dream day in the life of the textile obsessed!

Mona Berman Fine Arts
78 Lyon Street
New Haven, CT 06511-4927 USA
1-203-562-4720
F 203-787-6855
mb@monabermanfinearts.com
www.monabermanfinearts.com

Author: Renee Magnanti received her BA in English and BFA in Fine Arts from SUNY at Buffalo and MFA in Fine Arts from Tulane University. She is an artist living in New York City, where she exhibits her work, as well as throughout the US, Europe and Asia.  Known for her 3-D encaustic paintings and prints, her current work is inspired by world textiles and often incorporates text into the image.

This exhibition not only highlights the history of European textile arts but also the Museums’ own history.  Over fifty percent of the objects will be on view for the very first time and several have been in the collection for a half-century. Consequently, the objects on view can be seen as a reflection of the collecting tastes of the museums’ founding patrons.

I will take a moment here to share some of the treasures from the exhibition.

The Audience of the Emperor (or The Chinese Prince’s Audience), 1722–1723, from the series The Story of the Emperor of ChinaDesigned by J.B. Blin de Fontenay, G. L. Vernansal, Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer, Phillipe Behagle Atelier, French, 1684–1711, , France, Beauvais, Wool and silk; slit- and interlocked-tapestry weave, FAMSF, Roscoe and Margaret Oakes Collection, 59.49.1

This work belongs to a series of ten French Chinoiserie tapestries depicting a Chinese monarch (probably K’angxi [r. 1654–1722]) engaged in peaceful, scholarly pursuits. Instead of traveling to the East, the artists relied on Jesuit missionary and traveler accounts such as Johan Nieuhof’s 1665 illustrated treaty. True reverence is shown for the emperor, who sits like an idol surrounded by guards, European courtiers, and exotic animals such as the elephant, griffon, sphinx, and peacock. So popular was this series that the design template, or cartoon, was worn out by 1732.

Carpet fragment, 16–17th century, India, Wool and cotton; knotted pile (asymmetrical knot, open to the left), FAMSF, Gift of Arthur Sachs, 1952.33

This fragment comes from a Mughal carpet so coveted that it was cut up in the early nineteenth century and sold in pieces around the world. Scholars have identified it as a court carpet from the early reign of Akbar (1542–1605), who took the throne at age thirteen. The designer appears to have been an elite artist with knowledge of Mughal court painting, European botanicals, and traditional palmetto carpets—and with the wit to appease a young emperor captivated by mythological heroes, demons, beasts, and battles.

Chasuble, ca. 1700–1710, France, probably Paris, Silk and metallic thread; cut velvet and embroidery (laid work, couching, padded couching, and or nué), FAMSF, Museum purchase, Dorothy Spreckels Munn Bequest Fund, 2004.9.1.1

Made of rich velvet and lavishly embroidered in gold and polychrome silk, this is the dalmatic from a full liturgical set acquired by the museum in 2004.  According to family legend, the set was created for the royal chapel at Versailles (completed 1710) and removed at the command of Marie-Antoinette by her lady-inwaiting the marquise de Rochelambert as the Parisian mobs descended on the grounds in October 1789. The set comprises nine pieces: a chasuble, worn by the celebrant; identical dalmatics with matching maniples, worn by the deacons; three stoles, worn over the arm; and the burse, used to carry the corporal (the cloth used in the celebration of the Eucharist). The sacrificial lamb—a symbol of Christ—and the Book with Seven Seals illuminate the chasuble’s back, evoking the Resurrection; the clusters of grapes and wheat signify the bread and wine of the Eucharist. While the garments bear no royal insignia or inventory stamp that would support their purported provenance, their artistry ranks them among the most brilliant achievements of French needlework from the glittering age of the Sun King.

The exhibition runs until August 4th.  I hope to see fellow TSA members in the galleries.

Author:  Jill D’Alessandro,Curator of Costume and Textile Arts, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
http://deyoung.famsf.org/

As a textile conservator, I found it fascinating (and luxurious), to delve deeper into the social and historical aspects of low-country textile traditions. Four, full and thoughtfully organized days provided an in-depth look at both historic textiles and the broader context in which they were being produced/used– as well as presenting contemporary local textile traditions and production.

We began the first day at the Charleston Museum of Art, looking at historic examples of chintz applique quilts. Later in the tour, we learned about a contemporary community quilting project in Savannah, as well as a quilting initiative to foster and preserve the rag quilting traditions of the Gullah people.

Examining a chintz applique quilt top at the Charleston Museum. (photo credit: P. Hickman)

The history of the low country is intertwined with the slave trade, and many of our site-visits touched on the history of slavery – both directly and obliquely. How this narrative was presented (or omitted) was a fascinating point of much discussion for the group. A tour of this area would not be complete without a long look at slavery and indeed it can be connected to every thing we saw.

I feel as though I could write a blog post for every site visit we made – but in the interest of brevity, I will focus on a few of the highlights.

Sweet grass baskets. Stemming from African fanner baskets designed to hull rice (the major crop of the low country region), the local baskets are made from bulrush, sweet grass and palmetto fronds; we saw not only historic but some lovely contemporary examples.

Contemporary sweet grass basket at the Avery Center, woven by Antwon Ford.

Indigo. It still grows wild on St. Helena Island, and is often used by local artists. However, the highlight for me was the compellingly beautiful remains of the haint blue ceiling in the slave quarters at the Owens Thomas House in Savannah. This was buttermilk and lime based paint, colored with indigo: the blue was believed to ward off evil spirits.

Contemporary artist studios/SCAD campus. It was a pleasure to visit and dialogue with some of the contemporary fiber artists and graduate students living and working in the region – and to see how the history and landscape of the region is influencing their art.

On a tour of the SCAD Museum of Art.

Overall the trip was an amazing and varied experience. We met an assortment of people, all of whom generously shared their enthusiasms and knowledge with us: as I near my word limit, all I can say is that I have barely scratched the surface of the many and varied topics we traversed!

By Anne Getts

Anne Getts is currently an Andrew W. Mellon fellow in textile conservation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She holds an M.S. in art conservation from Wintherthur/University of Delaware, where she focused on textile conservation with an additional concentration in preventive concentration. Additionally, she holds three B.A. degrees in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Art History from the University of Colorado. contact information: agetts@lacma.org

Elena Phipps

Monday April 8,
Today was the opening of the exhibition The Philippines: archipelago of exchange at the Quai Branly Museum.  An unexpected mix of 16th century wooden male and female figures, almost featureless but powerful;  bowls and treasure boxes in animal shapes, along with other three-dimensional objects.  But it was the banana-fiber ikat panels that really caught my eye, with their glossy polished surface and beautiful designs.

Fig. 4 Ikat banana fiber panel

(The fiber is so shiny it is hard to photography—with my iphone!)

And the resist-dyed warrior garments, collected by the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago) in 1911 and on loan to the exhibition.  Sometimes one has to travel around the world to know about the treasures at home.

Fig. 5 Mindanao Warrior’s jacket and pants. Field Museum, Chicago, acc no. 129645, 129644.

Fig. 5a detail of the resist patterns n Field Museum garment

On the subway going home, I realized that the odd patterned plastic wall surfaces of the RER metro train was printed with homespun tweed plain weave fabric, flaws and all (note the missing warps!).

Fig. 6 Paris RER train wall covering

Textiles are everywhere you look in this city.

Elena Phipps
Paris.

Elena Phipps

I am currently spending a month in Paris teaching a seminar, Coloring the Globe: textiles and dyes, trade and culture, at the Ecoles des Hautes Etudes. This also gives me a chance to see textiles and textile events in Paris.  I thought I could take this opportunity to share some of my encounters with textiles in this wonderfully complex city.

Today, the first Sunday of the month, the Louvre opens its doors without charge. As a result thousands of visitors—including me—take advantage of one thing in Paris that does not cost something!  The reward for braving the crowds is a first-hand glimpse of some great Egyptian textiles. Special textiles for me were the incredible, large scale blue and white resist hangings —one very familiar in its delicate classical designs. The other was not so familiar and had strong indigo blues and an almost Southeast Asian appearance. Though said to be from Egypt from the 4th century A.D., the large scale of the piece, and its format organized in registers, filled with scrolling vines and exotic animals in chase, is very unusual, as well as the depth of the indigo blue. This contrasted beautifully with the piece on the wall opposite, of the spectacular—though fragmentary and faded—fine linen resist-dyed hanging with classical figures and grape vines.  A nice room to visit, that also included another very famous Louvre possession—the tapestry panel with rainbow colored fishes, from Antinoë. (2nd-3rd c. A.D.?)

Fig.1 Egypt 4th c. A.D. Detail of Blue and white resist dyed linen hanging. dep. AE, AF12749. Louvre, Paris.

Down the hall in the Coptic galleries I discovered this beautifully preserved purple sprang hat. Is it the royal Tyrian purple???

Fig. 2 Egyptian Sprang. Louvre, Paris.

Leaving the museum and strolling across the bridge to the left bank, in the gray and misty afternoon, I came across a dress shop window with a beautiful garment—covered with blue and crème silk flowers.

Fig. 3 Shop window.

By Elena Phipps

Paris

Group of shirts worn by Francis J. Carolan, ca. 1900. T. Hodgkinson, shirtmaker, London. Monogrammed cotton plain weave, cotton novelty weave, and silk novelty weave. Anonymous gift. Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. To be exhibited in Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion, opening at the RISD Museum in April 2013.

In 1994, Irene Zambelli Silverman created the Coby Foundation, in memory of her mother, to support projects in the needle arts.  After Silverman’s tragic death in 1998, the Board of Directors of the Foundation agreed to continue her work. It is my pleasure and honor, on behalf of the Board, to fulfill Irene Silverman’s wishes by administering a grant program that encourages the creativity and commitment of professionals in the fashion and textiles field.

From the beginning, the Coby Board decided to limit the geographical range of the Foundation’s grantmaking to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic so as to have a greater impact on the institutions in those regions and to be able to create relationships with the professionals working in them. They also limited grants to projects rather than operating or capital support. And each project, they decided, should have a public benefit. The bulk of the Foundation’s grants have been for exhibitions and associated publications, though the Foundation also funds subventions for scholarly monographs and, to a lesser degree, public programs. But within these restrictions, the Board considers projects from any era or culture.

In keeping with the mission, institutions receiving funding have been located from Maine to Delaware and from Boston to Erie.  Reflecting the Foundation’s broad subject interests, the first Maine grant went to the Maine State Museum for the Native American-themed exhibition, Uncommon Threads: Wabanaki Textiles, Clothing, and Costume and the Pennsylvania grant went to the Erie Art Museum for Kanga & Kitenge: Cloth and Culture in East Africa. The Boston project, at the Museum of Fine Arts, was for the Asian textile collection, while the project in Delaware, at the Winterthur Museum, funded the exhibition and catalogue, Quilts in a Material World: Selections from the Winterthur Collection. The Foundation has supported a number of contemporary art projects, including the recent retrospective at the Asia Society of the Chinese artist, Lin Tianmiao.

Since the grants process was formalized in 2002, the Coby Foundation has supported projects at seventy-four institutions for a total of nearly $4 million. The 2012 grantees are notable for their range and scholarship. Congratulations to all!

Ward Mintz
Executive Director
The Coby Foundation, Ltd.

Download the Supported Projects for 2012.

TEXTILES CLOSE UP

Ceremonial Weaving (Pua Kumbu)
late 19th Century
Cotton with warp-ikat patterning
122 x 183 cm (48 1/16 x 72 1/16 in.)
Yale University Art Gallery

Textiles Close Up  is an exciting new series of study-workshops that will provide  opportunities to examine first hand , textiles in leading museum and private collections , guided by  renowned experts.    Workshops will focus on the exploration of the materials, techniques, styles, culture and history of selected textile traditions, that will vary for each event. The format will offer first-hand, close up viewing of the textiles in the storerooms, laboratories and study rooms of the various institutions offering unprecedented access and learning opportunities.

Offered in different locations and scheduled periodically throughout the year,  Textiles Close Up  will be of particular interest to curators, art historians, educators, students, fiber artists, collectors of textiles and others interested in learning first-hand from close-up examination .

This year’s program is partially supported by a generous donation from Textile Arts, (Santa Fe, New Mexico).

This inaugural year, the TSA is pleased to present three workshops:

May 16, 2013
Indonesian Textiles  with  curator Ruth Barnes  at the Yale University Art Gallery

October 25, 2013
Printed Textiles in Europe and North America  with curator  Pamela Parmal  at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

November tbd, 2013
Interwoven Globe: Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500 – 1800  with curator  Melinda Watt  and the exhibition’s curatorial team, Ratti Textile Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Textiles Close Up  reflects the TSA’s ongoing commitment to  the exchange and dissemination of information about textiles.    In keeping with this mandate, TSA is also pleased to offer special fees to student/ new professional participants and will offer one scholarship for each event.   Due to the behind-the-scenes locations of these events, the number of participants will be limited.

Registration is now open for:
Textiles Close Up
Indonesia at the Yale University Art Gallery
May 16, 2013

Join curator and TSA member Dr. Ruth Barnes for an exclusive day-visit to the Yale University Art Gallery and its rich collection of textiles from Indonesia. The small-group tour begins at the Gallery, which recently re-opened to the public following major — and highly praised — expansions. Participants will gather for an à-la-carte luncheon at the Union League Café.  In the afternoon Ruth will guide a focused session examining weavings from Lampung and Palembang (South Sumatra), Java, Borneo and Sulawesi at YUAG’s off-site collections storage. A private reception will complete the day.

The tour is limited to 12 participants (including three students and one scholarship recipient).  Early registration for TSA members until April 5th and general registration closes for all on April 16th.

Please see Textile Society of America website for further information and registration forms.

View of the new Indo-Pacific Art Gallery

Bangi Embol basket-weaves in the traditional Iban technique

Where’s Borneo?  I heard that question many times before leaving for Kuching to attend the International Symposium and Exhibition on Natural Dyes & World Eco-Fiber and Textile Forum (ISEND-WEFT.) Borneo, the third largest island in the world is located north of Java and is divided amongst three countries: Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.  The symposium was held in Malaysia, in the state of Sarawak, home to 40 sub-ethnic groups who’ve maintained rich textile traditions in ikat, songket, bark cloth, basket weaving, and supplemental weft sungkit.

The 5-day symposium “From Waste to Wealth” brought together 200 participants from more than 30 countries to share research findings, exchange success stories of in working with natural dyes, and discuss issues facing the economic revival of natural dyes and colorants.

A sampling of topics included research from Dr. Kim, Ji-Hee, Director, Museum of Natural Dye Arts, Daegu, Korea, who incorporated a fermentation process in the dye bath for plants with low color fastness.  Her best results with this process came from indigo, safflower, sappan wood and persimmon.

Ruby Ghuznavi, a champion in reviving natural dyes in Bangladesh spoke about her work through the World Craft Council in holding weeklong workshops for experts, who are then available as a resource to train others in their region in the use of natural dyes. A database of key individuals working with natural dyes, along with a survey of their methods, materials and best practices has been created for Asia.  Knowledge sharing between regions and countries has resulted in strong collaborations and improved results.

The organizers are expanding the database to include a roster of experts from other continents.  If you’d like to have your name included, please contact me, and your information will be included in the master database.

Weaver from Sumba attending the symposium

Other highlights of the symposium included 22 hands-on workshops in weaving, basketry and dyeing. Plants from around the world were brought to the symposium in carry-ons and backpacks to use in demonstrations. A professionally staged fashion show highlighting the work of 25 international designers translated traditional textile techniques and natural dyes into contemporary fashions.

Following the close of the forum, a small group traveled across Sarawak through the jungle to visit an Iban community at Rumah Garie Longhouse. The women weave Pua Kumbu blankets of ritual significance imbued with powers used in ceremonies from birth to death. Motifs are formed through the aid of ancestral spirits in dreams and include anthropomorphic, animal and abstract designs.

Our visit was planned to coincide with the yearly Ngar Ceremony – preparing the cotton thread with mordant through adherence to a ritual order of events. Only cotton treated with the mordant can absorb their primary dye, Engkudu (Morinda citrifolia), a deep rust color. We observed the third and most important day of the 10-15 day process. The woman with the highest status leads the preparation of the mordant bath and guides the ceremony.  Her skills are evaluated on how accurately she measures the right proportions of: wild ginger, ginger, oil extracted from kepayang nuts, palm salt, nipah salt, and grated coconut, each prepared in advance through cutting, chopping, pounding, sifting, boiling and roasting.

Cotton, which had been hanging on wooden hooks was lowered into troughs filled with half of the mordant. The women slathered the remaining mordant onto the cotton and then tread on the yarn to ensure absorption into the fiber.  Blessings are recited, songs are sung and the women and cotton are blessed with amulets to ensure a successful weaving season.  Women took night shifts to guard the yarn and to adhere to strict requirements regarding the amount of dew and night air permitted. Our group left by boat the next day with great respect for the community and a new perspective on weaving.

The next ISEND-WEFT symposium will take place in Taiwan in October 2013.
See more photos of the 2012 conference.

By Karin Hazelkorn