Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen, Cocurated by Bard Graduate Center Professor Michele Majer, Reviewed in Architectural Digest
Jakob Schlaepfer AG, manufacturer. Hypertube lace collar, St. Gallen, ca. 2021. Silicone. Private collection. Photo by Michael Rast
Lace, though widely used in depicting religious and cultural leaders throughout the centuries, is still relatively uncelebrated in the art world, especially with respect to the artisans behind it. “Despite the intricate textile’s ubiquitous presence in artworks to connote wealth, prestige, and beauty, little is known about the actual makers behind lace,” writes Stephanie Sporn for Architectural Digest. Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen, an exhibition cocurated by Michele Majer, assistant professor of fashion at the Bard Graduate Center, aims to address the deficiency in representation of these talented artisans. “Lace in the gallery is shown alongside portraits of named men and women painted wearing pieces of lace, but it’s very rare—if not impossible—to find paintings of named lacemakers,” Majer says. “These highly skilled women and girls were underpaid, overworked, and socially invisible. They toiled in difficult working conditions for countless hours to create accessories that only wealthy patrons could afford.” Threads of Power: Lace from the Textilmuseum St. Gallen opens on September 16, 2022, at the Bard Graduate Center and runs through January 1, 2023.
Post Date: 09-13-2022
Post Date: 09-13-2022