Mini textile art in Eastern Europe: historical survey

ABSTRACT

The article is about the mini textile art development trends of the second half of the twentieth century as a scarcely studied branch of art. The transition from a large format textile to a miniature form developing as a separate variety is clarified. Recondite works of Eastern European artists are introduced through scholarly review for the first time. Artists from the USSR were under extraordinary pressure, and ideological prohibitions restricted artistic pursuits. However, Soviet artists managed to experiment, create and participate in exhibitions. The article contains an overview of the mini textile exhibitions in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, the Baltics in the second half of the twentieth century. It includes an analysis of works of leading artists and the notable features of their artworks, rethinking and transforming folk art traditions. Three main directions characterize mini textile art of the period: a planar composition with a combination of traditional weaving techniques and textures; the semi-spatial relief images made of non-traditional and atypical materials; the creation of miniature art objects or spatial compositions from various materials. It is proved that mini textile art is an independent type of textiles and continues its development in the twenty-first century.

KEYWORDS:

• Mini textile art
• experiment
• artistic features
• artist

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Olha Lukovska

Olha Lukovska is an artist and D.Sc. in Art Studies. She is a Professor at the Ukrainian Academy of Printing and Deputy Director of the Scientific and Artistic Activities at Lviv Art Palace, managing art and cultural projects and participating in national and international events including solo art textile exhibitions. Research interests encompass trends in contemporary art and culture.

Tetiana Kara-Vasylieva

Tetiana Kara-Vasylieva is D.Sc. in Art History and Academician of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts. She is Head of the Department of Fine and Decorative Art, Institute of Art History, Folklore and Anthropology, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. As a leading expert in the field of fine arts of Ukraine she has co-authored over 400 published papers on the theory and practice of folk art and 26 scientific and popular books. She is scientific editor of the five-volume edition of the History of Decorative Art of Ukraine. A considerable body of her works is made up of studies over a wide range of problems of genesis and development of Ukrainian folk embroidery, goldwork, and carpet weaving. E-mail: [email protected]