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Auxiliary Events for “Timeless Connections” and “By Hand in the Electronic Age”

By Courtney Ann Shaw

The concurrent tapestry exhibits at The Textile Museum, are both exquisite. As previously mentioned, “By Hand in the Electronic Age: Contemporary Tapestry” was curated by Rebecca Stevens and “Timeless Connections” was curated by Lydia Fraser, Assistant Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections. It shows some twenty works that are part of the Textile Museum’s collections from throughout time and place, East and West, employing many tapestry techniques. 

I attended the opening reception and several lectures at the small and classy museum. Rebecca Stevens gave a tour highlighting several of the show’s pieces during “From Buda’s Castle Hill: Contemporary Hungarian Tapestry and Hungarian Cuisine,” Wednesday evening, April 28. The Hungarian Ambassador and actor Tony Curtis were among those attending the dinner.

“Tapestry Through the Eyes of the Artist” was an opportunity for the artists to share “insights and unique perspectives about their work.”  Rebecca introduced Jon Eric Riis and Marcel Marois, to talk about how artists look at tapestry history in reference to items in “Timeless Connections.” Their discussion certainly opened my eyes about the subtleties of design and technique.

Riis commented on his renewed interest in Peruvian work of the Colonial period, by first discussing a small cover, from the South Highlands of Peru, late 16^th or 17^th century. He pointed out the frame within a frame within a frame and the allusion to Spanish arches, and replication of lace. He responded to the directional and active quality of the birds contrasting to the static borders.

He then selected a finely woven Chinese band of the early 17^th century, with metallic thread of the slit tapestry technique. He compared it to his use of metallic threads -- gold leaf on silk cord. He talked about peacock feather filaments in his work in the Mandarin Hotel in N. Y., and the use of freshwater pearls and coral. Jon loves the color combination used in the old band, with its loud colors remaining.

Next we viewed two small Chinese roundels, from the late 17^th, early 18^th century, probably from the border decoration of a robe. Looking at the reverse side one sees the criss-crossing yarns, thus no waste. So fine are the metallic threads per inch, that with humor, Riis asked if we wanted to use his glasses to see them. He considers it to be even more special because it includes the 8 Buddhist treasures around the edges.

Finally, Jon talked about an Indian Dhurrie, a flat-woven rug, made by prisoners (possibly from the Abmedabad Jail) in 1915. The design is spontaneous and directional, not unlike the work of the Harrania children’s tapestries in Egypt. The weaver used the modulation of dark and light as one textural treatment.

Marcel Marois then spoke, going straight to his inspirational source, a square from a border of a 6^th or 7^th century Egyptian Coptic weaving, It is a small fragment of very fine tapestry. He compared the composition to contemporary expression in tapestry today, especially his own use of central images, and his use of multiple images to create one idea. Like the Peruvian tapestry mentioned above and this Egyptian one, Marcel, also uses a frame within a frame, which reminds him of Renaissance tapestries too. His borders are more singular in color however.

Next, he approached an Iranian oriental carpet from late 19^th century Sennah.  It is impressionistic on first glance, built with geometric edges, creating a kinetic and optic effect; then one discovers the flowers and the detail in closer viewing. He fractures his images as well.

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