12/ 10 or 12/17

A Collection of Indian Textiles On Display At Mount Holyoke College Art Musuem

TG #612306

SOUTH HADLEY, MASS. — From early times, Indian brocades achieved worldwide fame. Romans wrote of them as cloth of gold. Indian looms produced yardage for garments that Muslim and Rajput rulers wore. At the beginning of the Seventeenth Century, when Europeans began to trade in the Spice Islands, Indian textiles were the commodities most in demand in these island cultures. Dutch, Portuguese and English traders purchased shiploads of fabric to trade for spices from Indonesia where they were used for clothing, ceremonial status, gift exchange and barter. At the same time painted and printed textiles began to be exported directly to Europe, though the market demanded different designs, materials and colors.

 The exhibition “Petals and Plumage” celebrates the extraordinary aesthetic and technical diversity of Indian textiles and attests to India’s preeminence in textile production throughout history. The works, which span over 600 years, are all drawn from an extraordinary private collection that simultaneously displays the rich variations within Indian traditions of ornamentation and speaks of textile utility within Indian cultural contexts. The ubiquity of flora and fauna in defining the vernacular of adornment in India is revealed in the vivacious petals and fanciful plumage that embellish and enliven the overall visual effect. Visitors will see a broad range of examples of production techniques, including painting, block printing, ikat, tie-dye, brocade, tapestry and embroidery.

This exhibition does include rare examples from the Fifteenth and Sixteenth centuries, as well as trade textiles — some of which have only recently come to light. Their rich and varied cultural origins, together with their diverse and complex production techniques, accentuate the visual appeal of these exquisite fabrics. Early Indian textiles are rare. Climate, insect damage and usage patterns contributed to their rapid deterioration. In addition, worn cloth woven with gold or silver thread often was burned to reclaim the precious metals.

 “Petals and Plumage” will be on view at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum from January 26 through March 20. The Mount Holyoke College Art Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm, and weekends, 1 to 5 pm. Admission is free; donations are welcome.

For information, 413-538-2245 or www.mtholyoke.edu/ go/artmuseum.

12/10 or 12/17 or 12/24

Slug: CAA Annual Conference

TG #612319

ATLANTA, GA. — The College Art Association will be holding their 93rd annual conference in Atlanta from February 16–19.  This year’s conference will focus on the intersection between art and politics, featuring a panel discussion lead by artist and curator Coco Fusco.  The other focus of the conference will be the relationship between the African American community and the arts, featuring a range of sessions investigating collecting African art to visual culture in the struggle for civil rights. Additionally, Lowery Stokes Sims, director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, will receive a special career achievement award from the Committee on Women in the Arts.

For more information, visit www.collegeart.org or call John Menick, director of media & communications  212-691-1051.