Josephine Stealey

A look at 78 artists who are using cloth to reimagine traditional sculptural forms—includes 350+ fabric sculptures, artist profiles, and insights into their creative processes. Sculpture is no longer limited to materials like stone or metal. Sculpting in fabric is shown in ingenious detail here, with more than 350 lavish photographs of 3-D cloth configurations along with insightful profiles of the 78 artists who created them. The images and text capture the currents that are powering these works, like the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement established in the 1990s and the current revival of the revolutionary sculptural cloth of the 1960s. Works are approached through five themes: investigating nature, capturing the ephemeral, playing with space, telling a story, and "Take Heed." In her foreword, renowned fiber art expert Josephine Stealey helps us put this art form in context, from its origins in 1880 England’s arts and craft movement to today. This is essential reading and inspiration for collectors, students, home artists, and anyone who appreciates innovative artwork.

Ten contributing authors examine the cultural history of American basketry, from its utilitarian origins to the fine art world Rooted, Revived, Reinvented is a visual history of American basketry, from its origins in Native American, immigrant, and slave communities, to its contemporary presence in the fine art world. Ten contributing authors from different areas of expertise, and over 250 photographs, insightfully show how baskets convey meaning through the artists' selection of materials, the techniques they use, and the colors, designs, patterns, and textures they employ. This book illustrates how the processes of industrialization changed the audiences, materials, and uses for basketry. It also surveys the visual landscape of basketry today; while some contemporary artists seek to maintain and revive traditions practiced for centuries, others combine age-old techniques with nontraditional materials to generate cultural commentary. This comprehensive treasury will be of vital interest to artists, collectors, curators, and historians of American basketry, textiles, and sculpture.