“The Body Embellished” – Out Now!

September 14, 2016

This edition of The Journal is filled with a selection of textile and fiber objects of adornment from around the world, along with captivating tactile interpretations of portraiture from multiple points of view. Throughout human history, the body has been both muse and canvas for a wide range of fiber art forms. Aspects of personal identity and cultural heritage are expressed in figurative tapestries and quilts that beautify our homes, while the textile construction, surface design, and material choices of jewelry and garments lavishly embellish our bodies.

Here’s a little preview of what you’ll discover…

Jo Hamilton marries flesh to fabric in her crocheted portraits of friends, which remind us that our bodies, like fabric, sublimely sag and fray over time to become more beautiful and unique.

“Bijou Textile: Fiber in Contemporary Art Jewelry” features five international contemporary artists engaging in definitive mark-making who put no restrictions on materiality or the definition of wearability.

Laura Splan’s new series of jacquard weavings, 3D-printed sculptures, and digital prints on paper questions the notion of what it means to be “handmade” through the use of technology and the body, employing both traditional and contemporary craft practices.

“Alchemists of Adornment” looks at the transformation and reimagination of ordinary objects from three artists who have created successful businesses from their artistry.

“Lausanne Tapestry Biennial: Nomad Tapestries 2016” takes an in-depth look at a recent exhibition that charts the groundbreaking history and lasting influence of the iconic Lausanne Tapestry Biennials (1962-1995) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In “Dutch by Design” a selection of innovative designers and makers illustrates issues in jewelry and fashion, as related to the body, through a wide range textile techniques to combine craft and technology.

This issue of The Journal also features two new departments!

1) In “Artist in Residence”, tapestry maker and educator Tommye McClure Scanlin takes “time out” to experience creative and contemplative time away from her usual isolated studio practice through artist residency opportunities in the Appalachian Mountains of the US.

2) “Fiber & Film” features a review of YARN, a sensual and inspiring new documentary by Icelandic filmmaker Una Lorenzen.

For SDA Members,“The Body Embellished” should be appearing in mailboxes very soon!

To buy a copy of the Summer Edition, go to the SDA Marketplace, or you can check out a free digital sample on our SDA Journal page.