Textile, Who?

By: Connor Joseph

In the Summer of 2022, I had the honor of touring the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This gigantic building holds over 20 exhibitions. To the average viewer that may seem quite overwhelming, I know for me it was. In the Reckoning: Protest. Defiance, Resilience. exhibition I found something that helped change my view on a long-standing style of art that has sustained our culture and community for centuries.

When walking around the politically charged exhibit you will see various mediums of art (mostly photography and paintings) being used to depict the struggles and triumphs of black life. Getting closer to the center, standing still under a single spotlight, is a larger-than-life -vibrant, yet captivating quilt of a young Harriet Tubman made by textile artist Bisa Butler. Harriet, holding her signature stoic pose, is adorned with bright colors on a very dark background to contrast. The material that Harriet is made out of comes directly from Kente fabric and helps to bring in the diasporic ties this art has to the history of African descended people. This one piece of art seemed to bring the whole exhibit together, as if was it gave history and purpose to all of the other art within the exhibit.

Butler's quilt work has been widely praised throughout the modern art world. Amongst the praises, there seems to be a common thread of appreciation of how Butler's work is a direct tie to our history as a community. Beyond that many black textile artists have recently found themselves in the spotlight. But why is that? What is textile art and how does it tie into the essence of Black Art?

*Bisa Butler (1973- ), I Go To Prepare A Place For You*

Textile Art is the use of synthetic fibers, plants, or animals to make art. Within Black American Art one of the most commonly used textiles is quilt making which has been used as both a political and cultural statement since the times of chattel slavery. During the time of chattel slavery, quilts were used to relay secret messages of freedom to the enslaved. Many could say that the quilts were some of the first forms of Black Art within America. Since then, quilts have taken on the task of being political symbols for the black community. Using layers of intricate designs, they encourage us to look beyond what meets the eye. This mimics the methods and practices found throughout the history of the Black American Experience.

Long before quilt-making reached the shores of the Americas, textile art was culturally tied to Africa. Throughout the continent, distinctive styles of fabric helped to bring textiles to what we know today. Whether it be West African Kente cloths created by the Assante and Ewe tribes, bark cloth from Central Africa, or silks from Madagascar, textiles have been foundational to all art stemming from the diaspora. Mostly used as a form of fashion, textiles became most known for creating costumes, ceremonial dresses, and contemporary fashion. This medium has been a way for many black artists across the diaspora to connect to their ancestral past while also planting themselves right at the center of modern art and design.

Another artist sweeping the textile world by storm is Chicago-based artist, Nick Cave who is known for his larger-than-life installations. Cave’s art is centered around "sound suits" which are bizarre concoctions where fashion meets sculpture. Empowered by the Rodney King beatings, these suits represent metaphorical armor. Playing into Afro-futurism, the sound suits are supposed to transcend race, class, and gender forcing the viewer to look without bias. With heavy ties to the past, Cave's textile work wants the very opposite of its viewers and rather focuses on how innovative the viewer can imagine. The very foundation of Cave's work proves a lane for textiles to journey into the future of Black Art.

Understanding the delicate role that textile art plays in the art world, one may conclude that textiles are the essence of black art. A true tie to our ancestral home, textiles, no matter the materials used, is an art form that represents the complexities that come with blackness and also the uniqueness of our story. Not only here, but all across the diaspora. My future sees textile art placing itself in the center of black art, what does yours see?

Sources

Radfar, F. (2021, March 5). Textile Art & Racial Identity. mirappraisal. https://www.mirappraisal.com/12-01-16/textile-art-racial-identity

Nick Cave’s soundsuits - for sale on artsy. Artsy. (n.d.-b). https://www.artsy.net/artist-series/nick-cave-soundsuits

Nick Cave. Art21. (n.d.). https://art21.org/artist/nick-cave/

The legacy of African American textile art with Cynthia Lockhart. Artists Archives of the Western Reserve. (n.d.). https://www.artistsarchives.org/event/the-legacy-of-african-american-textile-art/

I go to prepare a place for you. National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.). https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2021.38

Herrmann, F. (n.d.). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - nick cave’s soundsuits. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Nick Cave’s Soundsuits. https://patentsonthesolesofyourshoes.blogspot.com/2020/10/personal-protective-equipment-ppe-nick.html

Four of the most inspiring African-American textile artists. Kenart. (n.d.). http://www.ken-art.com/blog/post/219/four-of-the-most-inspiring-african-american-textile-artists

About Bisa Butler. bisa butler art. (n.d.). https://www.bisabutler.com/about-5

Bisa Butler - biography, shows, Articles & More. Artsy. (n.d.-a). https://www.artsy.net/artist/bisa-butler

Black textile art. WEST HARLEM ART FUND. (2022, September 6). https://westharlem.art/2022/09/06/black-textile-art/

Four of the most inspiring African-American textile artists. Kenart. (n.d.). http://www.ken-art.com/blog/post/219/four-of-the-most-inspiring-african-american-textile-artists

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Washington, D.C.