Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Still Learning: Quilt Artist Depicts a Textile Laborer




This post may seem a little far-flung for a blog about style choices for women over 50. However, since launching Flattering50, my interest in fashion and style has grown to include many aspects of the fashion industry, including such things as the environmental impact of clothing manufacturing, fair trade practices, and the working conditions for garment makers. Recently, I visited the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. In an exhibit entitled "Collection," each artwork appears to be made of certain materials, but in reality, is made of very different materials. I found myself drawn to a large artwork, entitled Portrait of a Textile Worker (above and below), by Terese Agnew.

WORTH A CLOSER LOOK
From a distance, Portrait of a Textile Worker looks like a tapestry woven from mostly black and white threads. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that something very different is going on. The artwork was actually created from 30,000 garment labels.




 If you're planning a trip to Manhattan before September 7, I highly recommend you take a closer look at this extraordinary work of art. The museum is centrally located on Columbus Circle, just below Central Park.

If you don't have plans to be in the city, you can take a closer look at the artwork and learn how the artist collected all those labels in this video...