African textiles are hotter than July right now, for good reason -- what an amazing and rich textile heritage, a treasure trove of color, pattern and symbolic inspiration. A new exhibition of traditional and contemporary African textiles will open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 30 and run through March 29, 2009. From the Met's press release:
Africa's extraordinary legacy of textile arts, with its explosive color and complex graphic statements, will be presented at The Metropolitan Museum of Art beginning September 30. Bringing together more than 40 works dating from the early 19th century to the present – including a spectacular silk and cotton kente prestige cloth woven in Ghana during the 19th century and a 30-foot-long installation work by the contemporary artist Yinka Shonibare – The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design without End will highlight the enduring significance of textiles as a major form of aesthetic expression across the continent. While examining some of the finest and earliest preserved examples of different regional textile traditions, the exhibition will relate these to contemporary works by eight living artists, who draw inspiration from textiles in their explorations of other media ranging from sculpture, painting, and photography, to video and installation art.
This is a key dimension of the spirit of Slow Cloth for me -- illuminating traditional textile techniques and viewing them through the lens of contemporary artists and designers. This exhibition will surely be visually and culturally dramatic and powerful -- I predict we'll see its influence on fashion and textile design, on color forecasting, and in the art world.
The Smithsonian Museum of African Art is showcasing an exhibition on: TxtStyles: Fashioning Identity. Last week, the museum put on an awesome panel discussion with four African fashion designers presented by Sally Singer, Vogue feature editor. Kotow, of Project Runway fame, participated and is a true inspiration.
Posted by: Linda Lee | November 01, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Am so much hoping I have my physical act together enough to go down and see that exhibition. It is a goal worth setting - fingers crossed.
Posted by: Acey | July 20, 2008 at 09:02 PM
I hope I'll be able to get there to see it; some of the work sounds spectactular. Jude, thank you always for your thoughtful comments -- it's always great to see them.
Posted by: Lainie | July 19, 2008 at 11:14 AM
can't wait. i agree about the traditional techniques filtered through newness. paths converging. i look forward to this exhibition. thanks.
Posted by: jude | July 19, 2008 at 08:20 AM