CONVERSATIONS ACROSS TIME: FIBER ARTS THEN AND NOW
with Estrellita Brodsky & Joanne Pillsbury
To close out the exhibition Spin A Yarn, Joanne Pillsbury, specialist in the art and archaeology of the ancient Americas, will discuss with exhibition curator Estrellita Brodsky two extraordinary textile traditions separated by at least 500 years to explore the striking connections between artist of the ancient Andes and those of the 20th and 21st centuries.
This program will take place in Guild Hall’s newly renovated theater.
Spin a Yarn takes its title from an expression believed to have originated in sailors’ practice of telling stories, often tall tales, while repairing ropes during long sea voyages. Delving into the complex relationship between textile labor and storytelling, the exhibition examines the use of textiles as vehicles for the preservation of memories and knowledge. The terms textile and text are derived from the Latin texere (to weave), and while Western cultures have historically prioritized the written word, many others, particularly in Latin America, have relied on a rich tradition of using threads, knots, and woven materials to record and transmit information.
Spin a Yarn brings together a diverse selection of fiberbased works dating from ancient Andean times to the present. Some of the artists featured reflect on the weavings and feather works of pre-Hispanic cultures as precursors of geometric abstraction, while others explore and build on the embroidery and weaving techniques employed by indigenous peoples across Latin America as a means of advocating for the protection of these communities and the environment. Spin a Yarn casts light on the enduring significance of fiber arts in the modernist canon and the profound impact of indigenous and pre-Hispanic weaving traditions on the development of contemporary art.
This exhibition is curated by Estrellita Brodsky, founder and director of ANOTHER SPACE, New York, with Raul Martinez.