Diverse fabrics such as silk, rayon, woven wool, linen and cotton provided a new medium for Modern artists, allowing them to experiment with creating vivid textures and colours that brought both new life and a new audience to their work. The exhibition invites visitors to experience these iconic masterpieces reimagined, with the same subtle details as any painterly work.
Unveiled in the group presentation are renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink, Patrick Heron and more.
“The Styled by Design exhibition of textiles celebrates the modernist view that ‘a good textile was the equal of a good painting’. Post-war, innovative textile firms turned to Modern artists and translated their work into vibrant and exciting textiles that truly democratised Modern Art by making it literally a part of the furniture. Fashion designers in both Britain and the United States also turned to the likes of Chagall, Picasso, Moore and Matisse bringing Modern Art centre stage on the runway. These powerful artist textiles are a vital part of the history of the evolution of Modern Art.” - said Ashley Gray of Gray M.C.A and curator of the show.
