Creative Textile Materials: a study on materials used in Finnish contemporary textile art from the 1980s to the present, their influence on aesthetics and subject matter of works of textile art

Objective:

Materials play a crucial role in textile art as a tool for textile artists to exhibit aesthetics and subject matter of their works. The perception of materials in works of textile art, however, seems to be subjective, depending on artists and/or viewers’ feelings and backgrounds. Textile artists frequently make very personal statements about their experiences and lives in their works. As a result, detailed documents in this field are somewhat limited according to the rather personal and subjective context of the works.

The research “Creative Textile Materials” has two different approaches: firstly, a written thesis and secondly, artistic textile works. The written thesis consists of theoretical research; it is focused on materials used in works of Finnish contemporary textile art in recent history, from the 1980s to the present. The artistic work is included as experimentation consisting of my own works of art, which are based on the study in the theoretical part. The aim is to analyse expressiveness and practicality of materials used in the works and to bring a new dimension to research by combining the two different approaches. Artistic research through experimentation is practical work and should be documented so that textile artists (and others) can apply the results and, e.g. use the research document for their works. The results of the research can help and shorten the process of creating artistic textiles. Finnish textile art has a strong and long traditional root in Finnish culture; however, it has rarely been documented thus far.

My background as a researcher of textile art:

After my Master of Arts in textile art and design in 2002, I have continued creating artistic textile works. My works are created and developed through process of experimentation, emphasizing the importance of materials (and techniques) in their construction. They are a continuation of the process that I learned and experienced during my Master studies. My goal is to create textile works of art that convey intended messages to viewers, bringing out the aesthetics and the content of the work with a specific choice of materials. In order to achieve this goal, research in materials and ways of production, their expressiveness and practicality, is needed.

Accordingly, I intend to study relevant textile materials. Working as a textile artist is not only about creating pieces of textile art beautifully, but also to do research in order to analyse and create new knowledge in the field that can be useful for other textile artists or people in related fields. Therefore, I have decided to pursue my doctoral studies at the School of Design of the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH. The topic of my dissertation, Creative Textile Materials, is a study on materials used in Finnish contemporary textile art from the 1980s to the present.

Background:

The characteristics of textile art primarily consist of: firstly, the importance of artistic content and secondly, the importance of materials and techniques in construction. While textile art shares a common aesthetic language of form and composition with many disciplines, it is concerned very directly with materials, evolving a special sensibility to complex phenomena particular to the medium. From this perspective, textile art seems to possess a private and sophisticated own means, style and way of expression conveying artists’ messages to the public.

There are two evident types of works of textile art. One seems to have been generally influenced by visual art and pictorial traditions of subjects like tapestry, using traditional skills such as needlework or patchwork. The other seems to be inspired by high modernism combining the traditional virtues of contemporary sculpture with textile sensibilities and materials; its nature is likely to depend on emotion, spiritual or dramatic repertoire to inspire the artist feelings in the work.

Starting Points:

The starting points for this research are mainly from two different origins. First, the work done as my Master thesis in textile art at the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH, “Textile = Human”, allowed me to research in materials and productions in the essence of their expressiveness and practicality. I could achieve my goal in bringing out the aesthetics and content of the work so that it is capable of conveying my messages to public. This thesis motivates me to further study the roles of different materials in the composition of works of textile art. An appropriate material in a work of textile art is a tremendous means of conveying intended messages of the artist to society.

Secondly, when textiles are defined as a type of materials in fine art, they play their role in the composition of the work as a medium. They are considered to be of a lesser value compared to the work of art to which they contribute. Nevertheless, the boundary of textiles is beyond that; works of textile art can be created from a wide range of innovative materials, and at the same time, the materials plays a significant role in the wholeness of the works. This motivates me to do a research, demonstrating that textiles are not merely a medium and they are in their own right source of meanings as well as investigating how materials are of major importance in textile art.

Research questions:

- How does a material used in a work of contemporary textile art contribute to aesthetics and subject matter (content) of the work? Does it help artists to convey their messages or to execute and complete their works? How?

- Are there any certain reasons or factors that influence a textile artist to use a material to his/her work of textile art, except for his/her sensibility to the material?

- What materials have been used in Finnish contemporary textile art from 1980s until the present day? What are those which would be still used in the future? Why?

Are the materials originally created for textiles or adopted from other fields?

What are characteristics of the materials?

- What are distinguishing features between works of textile art in Finland and neighbouring countries?

Claims:

- A work of contemporary textile art can own perceptible beauty, together with the intellectual and emotional responses to beauty if it is made of suitable materials.

Artists will be able to present the subject matter of their works (what the work is about – its narrative, thematic, or symbolic meaning and what the work is of – what would be seen by an objective, non-expert viewer) more profoundly if they use suitable materials which can expressively convey their intended messages.

A material will be practical in certain types of textile art and will carry certain expressions of the artists and utmost aesthetic value in the presence of the work of textile art.

- Amongst materials used in works of contemporary textile art in Finland, there is a preponderance of natural and recycled materials. This trend will continue until the next decade.

- Other disciplines of art, for instance, graphic art and/or new media art, as well as their materials is likely to have a considerable influence on textile art.

Textile artists tend to be inspired by materials and techniques from other fields.

Goals:

The study can present the capability of the creative application of materials to a work of contemporary textile art, demonstrated by the role of each material applied to the work. Different materials may transform aesthetics and subject matter of a work; an artist uses materials as a creative tool. The research examines how textile artists can use this tool to create aesthetics, uniqueness and meanings of textile art.

The artistic pieces will be presented as examples of the relation between materials and works of textile art. Textile materials applied to the artistic works are analysed and experimented according to the theoretical part of the study. Different materials may transform aesthetics and subject matter of a work; and artists use materials as a tool for communicating intended contents.

All the works included in my practical research done in 2004 and 2005 will be exhibited at Galleria Johan S in Helsinki in May 2005. The complete series of my artistic works will be exhibited in 2007.

Textile artists (and others) can use the results of the study as a tool to create meanings and improve quality of textile art (and design). A suitable material can help transmitting the artist’s thought and work process behind the actual work of art to viewers, as well as communicating between the artist and the work. The conclusion will present categorisations of textile materials in relation to specific type of works of textiles art and an interpretation of their various contents. This study also presents a perspective on materials used in works of contemporary textile art in Finland (in the other words, the viewpoint of how Finnish artists have shaped works of textile art in time), and may forecast directions to which Finnish textile art is going or being led.

Methods:

The title “Creative Textile Materials” has a considerable contrast in itself. Materials are concrete and have their origins in nature and/or are scientifically developed by engineers or scientists. Creativity is, on the other hand, abstract; it requires subjective interpretation and imagination of artists while working and/or of audiences while viewing a work of art.

Accordingly, in order to reach the goals, the methods of conducting the research can be described as follows:

- Bibliographical research of the background to the problems: materials of Finnish contemporary textile art from the recent history (the 1980s to the present).

The analysis will move from a broad overview of the background to a narrow focus on specific issues.

- Qualitative analysis of materials used in Finnish contemporary textile art (their application and expression) as well as artists’ messages transmitted by materials for achieving aesthetics and subject matter. This part of the research will be performed in two different ways: firstly, by interviewing textile artists; each of which has his/her work in a certain kind. Secondly, by using a pilot study; experts in the field will be invited to exhibitions to express their opinions.

- Artistic methods: material experimentation on actual artistic works for analysing the appropriation of the materials. A series of works with different materials whether complete or unfinished ones will be analysed their aesthetics and subject matter, especially the capacity of conveying the artist’s (intentional and-or unintentional) messages.

Preliminary Schedulee:

2004 Foundation – provides an overview of the Finnish contemporary textile art with an emphasis on materials used in the art and how the data may be connected to actual artistic works.

- Defining the research problem

- Bibliography review

- Qualitative interview of textile artists

- Material experimentation: trying several materials on different works of textile art in order to find out whether materials contribute to an artist’s idea or the idea helps the artist finding materials

- Presenting artistic works from experimentation through an exhibition in Design Forum Finland in April – May 2004

- Searching for related workshops and/or seminar

2005 Investigation – produces the core aspects of the project: firstly, aesthetic aspect that investigate how a material influences the aesthetics of textile art, and secondly, narrative aspect that investigate how a material contributes subject matter of textile art.

- Participating workshops and/or seminar

- Bibliography review

- Material experimentation on an actual work of art: trying each of different materials on each piece of the same work of art

- Presenting artistic works and their processes through an exhibition in Galleria Johan S. in May 2005

2006 Conclusion – analyses the relation and dependency between textile art and material, leading to the integral part – actual works of textile art.

- Analysing all data collected in the previous years

- Conclusion of the study

- Material experimentation on actual works of textile art

2007 Completion

- Completing the actual artistic works

- Presenting the artistic work to public through an exhibition

- Publicising Results of the study

The current Stage of Work:

Bibliography has been collected and reviewed so that the area of investigation and the research problem can be clearly defined. Detailed information of the works of Finnish contemporary textile art during the specified years has been collected and analysed, with an emphasis on materials used in the works. A list of Finnish textile artists whose works have been publicly presented during the last twenty years has been worked out. Outstanding textile artists who have been actively working in the field will be selected for interviews.

Detailed Working Plan for 2005:

During 2005, the research “Creative Textile Materials” will be carried out according to the plan and produce the core aspects of the project. Firstly, the aesthetic aspect, how a material influences the aesthetics of textile art, will be investigated. Secondly, the narrative of how a material contributes to subject matter of textile art will be examined. The study of these both aspects will be approached with qualitative methods, i.e. interviewing Finnish textile artists, participating in workshops and/or seminar as well as writing a literature survey. The most important part of the research consists of material experimentation with actual artistic production (practiced based research or experimental research). Different materials will be applied on each piece of a work of art, forming material variations. The artistic pieces and the processes will be presented in an exhibition at Galleria Johan S in Helsinki. A series of works with different materials, either complete or unfinished ones, will be analysed with respect to their aesthetics and subject matter. Especially the capacity of conveying intentional and/or unintentional messages will be scrutinized.

Bibliography

*This list consists of literary sources, which I have used so far in collecting data about Finnish contemporary textile art. In addition, following archives and books have been and will be studied.

Some literature about textile art in general has been helpful in forming the research questions. These books and articles are also included in the list below:

Aav, Marianne and Viljanen, Eeva 1986. Textiles in Space: four Finnish textile artists. Helsinki, Taideteollisuusmuseo.

Albers, Anni 1965. On weaving. Middletown Connecticut, Wesleyan University Press.

Allison, Brian 1997. The Student's Guide to Preparing Dissertations and Theses. London, Kogan Page.

Anstey, Helen and Weston, Terry 1997. Guide to Textile Terms. S.l., Weston Publishing Limited.

Bachmann, Ingrid and Scheuing, Ruth 1998. Material Matters: the art and culture of contemporary textiles. Toronto, YYZ cop.

Beylerian, George M. and Osborne Jeffrey J. 1990. Materials and Ideas for the future. New York, Harry N. Abrams Inc.

Burnham, Dorothy K. 1981. A Textile Terminology. London, Routledge.

Ekdahl, Annika; Nordström, Birgitta and Engström, Maj-Britt 1997. Northern Fibre II: wild beasts!. Bohuslän, Nordic Arc.

Erikson, Marianne, Nygaard Lium, Ragni 1995. Intention/ Seitsemäs pohjoismainen tekstiilitriennaali, Helsingfors : Nordiskt Konstcentrum.

Gale, Colin and Haur, Jasbir 2002. The Textile Book. Oxford, Berg.

Geijer, Agnes 1979. A history of textile art. London, Sotheby Parke Bernet publishing.

Hansen, Viveka 1996. Swedish Textile Art, London, Nour Foundation.

Herrmann, Wolfgang 1984. Gottfried Semper: In Search of Architecture, Cambridge Massachusetts, the MIT Press.

Jokinen, Raija; Lukkarinen, Leena and Mäkinen, Eeva 1996. Northern Fibre I: the First International Workshop of Textile Art in Nordic Countries, Helsinki, Textile Artists TEXO.

Kwint, Marius; Breward, Christopher and Aynsley, Jeremy 1999. Material Memories. Oxford, Berg.

Manchester Textile Institute 1985. Identification of Textile Materials. Manchester, Textile Institute.

Paine, Melanie 1990. The Textile Art. New York, Simor and Schuster.

Pounds, Norman and John, Greville. Hearth and Home: a history of material culture. Bloomington, Indiana University Press.

Poutasuo, Tuula 2001. Textile Art in Finland. Hamina, Akatiimi.

Semper, Gottfried 1989. The Textile Art, considered in itself and in relation to architecture, The Four Elements of Architecture and Other Writings. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Singer, Margo and Spyrou, Mary 1989. Textile Arts: multicultural traditions. London, A & C Black.

Stroud, Marion Boulton 2002. New Material as New Media. Cambridge Massachusetts, the MIT Press.

Svinhufvud, Leena 2001. Eva Brummer’s exhibition catalogue. Helsinki, Taideteollisuusmuseo.

Talley, Charles S. 1982. Contemporary Textile Art. Uppsala, Carmina.

Thomas, Michel; Mainguy, Christine and Pomme, Sophie 1985. Textile Art. Geneva, Skira.

Valkonen, Anne and Svinhufvud, Leena 1999. Sidos: juhlanäyttely Suomen käsityön ystävät 120 vuotta. Helsinki, Taideteollisuusmuseo.

Waller, Irene 1977. Textile Sculptures. London, Cassell and Collier Macmillan.

Willberg, Marjo. The Textile Designer and the Art of Design on the Formation of a Profession in Finland, Helsinki, University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH.

Wilson, Sadye Tune 1988. Textile Arts Index 1950-1987: selected weaving, spinning, dyeing, knitting, fiber periodicals. Nashville (TN), Tunstede.