The Development of the New Tapestry: 25 Years of Experiment in Polish Tapestry

Abstract

A report written in 1976 for the British Council post awards for studying with Magdalena Abakanowicz at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan and a 3 month tour of other art schools and workshops in Poland. As an historical account and personal reflection, the report notes the pedagogical differences and practices between Warsaw, Krackow, Gdansk, Lodz and Poznan.

Keywords:

• British Council
• tapestry
• art schools and workshops
• Poland

Notes

Originally written in 1976 for the British Council, UK as an end of grant award report post studying with Abakanowicz at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janis Jefferies

JANIS JEFFERIES

Janis Jefferies is an artist, writer, and curator. She is internationally recognized for her curatorial work, publishing, and exhibitions of research practice in Europe, Canada, Australia, and Eastern Europe. She is one of the original three founders of Textile: The Journal of Cloth and Culture in 2002. With Diana Wood Conroy and Hazel Clarke, she edited The Handbook of Textile Culture. In 2017, her introduction to From Tapestry to Fiber Art, The Lausanne Biennials 1962‒1995 was published by Fondation Toms Pauli Lausanne and Skira Editions Milan. She was chief editor for TECHSTYLE Series 2.0: Ariadne’s Thread, Hong Kong: MILL6 Foundation/CHAT, and author of Ravelling and Unravelling: Myths of Europe, texts, textiles and political metaphors for the EU project, Philosophy of Weaving (as a practice / techne and/or as political metaphor, Nissos Publications in Athens. She exhibited Weaving Europe: Pafos, EU City of Culture. Othellos—Attikon Cultural Centre (Pafos) and Weaving & We, 2016, Hangzhou Fiber Art Triennial, China.  

She is currently concluding The Re-Enchantment of Cloth (2014‒2018), a research program involving the dynamic of smart technology within expressive art fabrics with Professor Barbara Layne, SubTela Studio, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. It investigates embroidered metalwork from the historic textile collections at the V&A that will provide the research which underpins technical methods, aesthetic value, and cultural meaning. As with previous SSHRC grants, Janis Jefferies is the UK collaborator providing the arts and humanities scholarship for creative outputs (journals, book chapters) in addition to technical advice. 

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