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Introduction

Evolution Revolution

The Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Fashion and Textiles
February 22 - June 15, 2008

Evolution/Revolution brings together the textile work of designers from the U.S., Britain, Europe, South and Central America, and Japan, and draws philosophical parallels between these contemporary artists and those of the Arts and Crafts Movement of 19th-century Britain. The exhibition is organized around the themes of Storytelling, Experimentation and Materials, Collaboration, and Art and Life — key ideas that spring from the Arts and Crafts spirit.

One of the most widely influential art and design movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, the Arts and Crafts Movement was an aesthetic and political response to a world stripped of meaning by the Industrial Revolution. It sought to right this wrong by championing beauty and truth in everyday objects, and in the process profoundly changed architecture and the decorative arts. Members of the movement were especially appalled by the inhumane work conditions created by the factory system. By celebrating the honesty and authenticity of hand work and the traditional arts, they sought to reconnect the makers and users of objects through a more holistic approach to work itself.

The movement offered a model for reform: work would be more meaningful if factories did not dominate production, and life would be better if cheap machine-made goods were replaced by objects that were carefully designed and crafted. The movement abhorred badly designed goods but did not necessarily reject technology out of hand. Rather, it sought to use it in ways that facilitated, rather than fragmented, the process of making.

Arts and Crafts philosophy has continued to influence new generations, as we see in the work of the contemporary artists and designers of Evolution/Revolution. Like their predecessors, these new designers grapple with mass production and consumerism. Using state-of-the-art technology as well as traditional methods, they are redefining what “handmade” means. By developing humane and ingenious solutions to contemporary problems such as sustainability and cultural preservation, they, like the Arts and Crafts artists of the 19th century, are the creators of a new tradition.

Selected Objects

William Morris, designer

Lodden (furnishing textile), 1884

Morris & Co., manufacturer

Larkspur (furnishing textile), 1875

Morris & Co.

Borage (furnishing textile), 1883

Morris & Co.

Honeysuckle (furnishing textile), 1876

English

Jumps, late 1600s-early 1700s

Morris & Co.

Cushion cover, ca. 1890

Liz Collins

Samurai Coat, fall 2001

Claudy Jongstra, textile designer

Apparel Felt, 2001

Claudy Jongstra

Shawl Panel, ca. 2000

Joan Morris

Animation 4, 2007
No Image Available

Molo Design Ltd.

Soft Wall, 2007

Sophie Roet

Paper Textile, 2004

Eley Kishimoto, designer

Flash (blouse), Spring/Summer 2001

Eley Kishimoto, designer

Women's boots, ca. 2000

Maude Benson, designer

Smock #0097, 2007

Andrea Zittel

A-Z Smock Shop, 2007

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

"Finishes" for View: Textile View Magazine (textile swatch), 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

"Finishes and the Branded Image" for View: Textile View Magazine (textile swatch), 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rubber as a Rudder, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

"Loving the Alien" for View: Textile View Magazine (textile swatch), 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven

Serpentine Lace, 2008

Eugène van Veldhoven

Cotton Rain, 2008

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Severe Frost with a Good Chance of Snow, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Severe Frost with a Good Chance of Snow, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Severe Frost with a Good Chance of Snow, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Heavy Showers With Regional Thunderstorms, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Cloud Thickening During the Course of the Day, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Cloud Thickening During the Course of the Day, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Cloud Thickening During the Course of the Day, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rain Interspersed with Warm Sunny Periods, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rain Interspersed with Warm Sunny Periods, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rain Interspersed with Warm Sunny Periods, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rain Interspersed with Warm Sunny Periods, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rain Interspersed with Warm Sunny Periods, 1995

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Lost my Towel in the Bubble Bath, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Lost my Towel in the Bubble Bath, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Lost my Towel in the Bubble Bath, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Can't Stop Eatin' Sweetmeats, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Can't Stop Eatin' Sweetmeats, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Can't Stop Eatin' Sweetmeats, 1996

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rubber as a Rudder, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rustworthy, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Rustworthy, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Positive Interference, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Positive Interference, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Positive Interference, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Powderfull, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Powderfull, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Powderfull, 1997

Eugène van Veldhoven, designer

Laminates, 1997

More objects +

Exhibition Checklist

Evolution Revolution : The Arts and Crafts in Contemporary Fashion and Textiles

February 22 - June 15, 2008
View Checklist PDF

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