Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art

The transformative power of contemporary textiles is the subject of this exhibition catalog that examines how and why textile has been a fertile medium for artists to question regimes of power and hierarchies of value. Bringing together more than 100 works by a diverse range of international practitioners, this eye-opening volume explores how textile art can be as discomforting as it is beautiful, and how age-old materials and processes are being reimagined with boundary-smashing innovations. From intimate hand-crafted works to large-scale sculptural installations, this book celebrates the legacies of artists such as Pacita Abad, the arpilleristas, and Jose Leonilson. Also featured here are works by living artists such as Igshaan Adams, Tracey Emin, and Cecilia Vicun~a. With new scholarship and beautifully produced imagery, this collection of renowned artists from around the world reveals the extraordinary potential of textiles to confront fixed notions of history, race, gender, sexual expression, and class-and how, ultimately, it can be a powerful force for both resistance and repair. AUTHOR: Lotte Johnson is curator at the Barbican Museum in London. She previously worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. She lives in London. Amanda Pinatih is Design Curator at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, PhD candidate and founder of Design Museum Dharavi. She lives in Amsterdam. Wells Fray-Smith is a curator at the Barbican Centre, London. She was formerly Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery, London and has also worked at Pace Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She lives in London. SELLING POINTS: . Perfect for lovers of contemporary textile art. . Exhibition highlight: accompanies a major new exhibition at the Barbican, London and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. . Compelling essays: engaging and accessible essays deepen our understanding of the history, politics and tradition of textile art. . Comprehensive survey: includes over 150 works by a diverse range of international artists including Faith Ringgold, Nick Cave, Tracey Emin and Do Ho Suh. . Lavishly illustrated with 300 colour images.