On Wednesday I went to the first class of my latest course (10 weeks) at the Victoria & Albert Museum. (Great provider of high quality education, and considerably cheaper than a university module). The main lecturer is Jennifer Weardon, Honarary Research Fellow at the V&A Research Department.
She stated her interest in textiles came from being "excited by the clever things people do". What a lovely way of expressing the fascination of research. She gave an overview of textiles from the Bayeaux Tapestry to the advent of synthetics made by Courtaulds in the 1950s.
The Bayeaux Tapestry was created some time after the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066. Astonishing this has survived, almost complete, to date. Highly prized textiles tend to be cannibalised and given away. They are fragile as they are textiles made from animal or plant substances, and seldom survive. The Bayeaux Tapestry is long and narrow, and reads from left to right.
There are other very old, significant, textile works, for example the original Star Spangled banner, 30 feet x 42 feet. Other tapestry fragments exist from different works, although much smaller, showing that story tapestries and friezes have been used throughout history.
In order for ancient textiles to be preserved, there are 3 key requirements:
- a culture that uses textiles
- a culture that buries textiles
- a culture within a dry climate.
For example Paracas, Peru (south of Lima); Egypt; where both cultures buried textiles with the dead, and Central Asia where textile fragments are found in caves with the dead. These textile fragments are now found in archeological collections, but are not part of the V&A collection.
The Bayeaux Tapestry came to attention on 25/7/44 when there was concern about where it was - it had disappeared from view. The Bayeaux Tapestry showed the subjugation of the British and therefore the Nazis loved it!! And wanted it! The SS and Gestapo both wanted ownership of it, but it was not found. Eventually it was 'found' in the basement of the Louvre Museum many years later. The implication was that it had been stored elsewhere for many years, and it being found in the Louvre was convenient on many levels!
The tapestry was made in 9 sections from a half width of woven linen fabric, embroidered with scenes from the Battle of Hastings. Motifs on the border were lifted and copied from expensive French silks. Words were added later, as shown from the random manner in which they fit the unworked background space. The embroidery was laid and couched work, where most thread is seen on the front of the work. This indicates the broderers were familiar with working with metal thread where it is important that expensive thread is not wasted by covering the back of the fabric, but visually maximised on the front.
The lecturer was very keen that we use the correct terms - the Bayeaux Tapestry is not a tapestry (hand woven multi coloured textile) but is actually an embroidery. She also noted that the broderers would have needed to work in daylight, therefore it implies that they worked near open window frames, probably from spring to autumn.
Jennifer Weardon discussed the value given to embroidery. This is pertinent to me, as I really struggle with it. I like textiles and embroidery, but don't want to be seen as trivial or insignificant. Therefore I want my work to have meaning and insight. In Victorian times it was described as a pastime, therefore not worthy for study. I think it is very easy for it to continue to be seen this way and have not yet worked out how my work is to overcome the stigma of pastime and become something more (I have not yet defined what the definition of Something More is!) However in the Arts & Crafts movement, William Morris was impressed with its beauty as an artisan product and took on board the theme. He started to store lengths of embroidery on spools and continued the use of long pieces by incorporating them into valances for 4 poster beds.
The Aesthetic movement referred to embroidery as art needlework. In 1862 the precursor of the Royal School of Needlework was founded. This enabled distressed gentlewomen to earn their living. William Morris and Thomas Wardle were working together, and Elizabeth Wardle (wife) ran the RSN. One of their commissions was to create a replica Bayeaux Tapestry and it successfully toured the UK.
We looked at some Victorian applique. Tristan and Isolde was a favourite narrative of the age, telling the story of Tristan, a cornish knight, who goes to Ireland to collect Isolde from Dublin for marriage, defeating the dragon of Dublin in order to do so. We also looked at the Overlord Embroidery, designed by Margaret Bartlett, RSN, made by Sandra Lawrence and team. There was some discussion about how designs have to be adapted by the workers when the designer has not taken technique into account.
Tapestry weaving was explained. A loom is warped up (vertical threads running parallel to the selvedge) and weft threads are woven in, thereby making the weft threads dominate as the warp can no longer be seen. This gives a slight rib effect. Different colours can be woven to create a pattern or imagery. Diagonal colour changes create a strong fabric. Where there is a colour change along a vertical axis, it usually creates a slit, unless complicated and slow interweaving of colours is done. This means the weaver has to keep changing shuttles, rather than working an area of one colour at a time. Vertical slits are manually sewn closed. This is tedious.
There are high warp looms where the warps run vertically, and low warp looms running horizontally across a frame. They have different operating styles, but give the same effect. Gobelin technique is woven from the back, therefore reverses the image on the cartoon from which the weaver works.
The advent of synthetic dyes in 1856 was covered. Perkins (1838-1907) was trying to synthesise quinine and discovered synthetic dyes instead.
Manmade - adjusted natural materials. Eg viscose Rayon, or art silk (caustic soda and wood pulp), actate rayon (acetic acid and wood pulp). Courtaulds bought the viscose patent in 1907.
Synthetic - non-organic materials. Nylon is carbon and petroleum. Dupont had the nylon patent.
A great lecture which covered the general background of the subject. Next week we learn about The Medieval World - gothic tapestries and opus anglicanum (English ecclesiastical embroidery). I really want to know why people used stitch to express themselves, and what it was about, so I might have some answers to why I want to use textile and stitch to express myself. Also why is stitch associated with women and why is it often more valued when men get involved (eg Morris, Brennand Wood)
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