Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting [Paperback]

David Revere McFadden (Author), Jennifer Scanlan (Author), Jennifer Steifle Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 2009

This book looks at a group of artists and sculptors who use the techniques of knitting and the concepts of lacemaking to produce works that take the form of freestanding sculptures, architectural interventions, sound & video works and performance art Includes an index of artists and exhibited works Published in association with the Museum of Arts and Design, New York Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting presents an array of works that reflect the energy, vitality and innovation demonstrated by a diverse group of contemporary artists who apply traditional knitting and lacemaking techniques to unusual materials, or new techniques and technologies to traditional materials. The works brought together here are by artists from many different countries. Individually these works speak to the pervasive and persuasive cultural, social, and political issues with which art intersects today. The role of hand work as a symbol of community and communication is highlighted in many of these pieces, and the artist's personal commitment to collaborative experiments is the focus of others. The works are also barometers of change in the visual arts of our time, signaling the dissolving of the categories of art, craft and design that have fragmented the world of aesthetic and functional objects for more than a century. David Revere McFadden is the Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts & Design, New York.

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Revere McFadden is the Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts & Design, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 156 pages
• Publisher: Antique Collectors Club Dist (January 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1851495681
• ISBN-13: 978-1851495689
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #669,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overdone Exhibition Catalog for Textile Art Enthusiasts, April 8, 2011

By 

Lynne E. (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting (Paperback)

This is a museum exhibition catalog--an overblown, overdone one--that was first published in conjunction with a 2007 exhibition, RADICAL LACE & SUBVERSIVE KNITTING, that was organized by the Museum of Arts & Design (New York City). The first 142 pages (1-2, 3-4, etc.) are printed on uncut, doubled pages (with blank inside pages) that make the catalog book twice as thick and heavy as it ought to be!

There isn't much lace, unless you count the lacey-look items like the laser-cut metal shovels, flamework glass sculpture, cut-out steel wall decorations, and paper-doily constructions. Quite a few items have some knitted or crocheted elements, but they don't strike me as particularly "subversive"--they're just nice textile art. Things that I particularly liked were the enlarged photos of Althea Merback [Crome]'s tiny sweaters, and Janet Echelman's giant fiber and steel bowl that calls to mind a particularly beautiful radio telescope.

The short discussions of the included textile artists and their current aesthetics do add considerable value to this catalog. Included artists are Liz Collins, Freddie Robins, Erna van Sambeek, Yoshiki Hishinima, Barbara Zucker, Ruth Marshall, Annet Couwenberg, Janet Echelman, Dave Cole, Althea Merback [Crome], Hank Wolvers, Niels van Eijk, Bennett Battaile, Sabrina Gschwandtner, Cat Mazza, Francoise Dupre, Shane Waltener, Cal Lane, Piper Shepard, Elana Herzog, Eugene van Veldhoven, Hildur Bjarnadottir,, Carson Fox, Hilal Sami Hilal, Edward Mayer, Sheila Pepe, and Anne Wilson.

This is a book for textile artists and art historians. A better choice for a crafter who is intrigued by unusual knitted or crocheted art projects would be Astounding Knits!: 101 Spectacular Knitted Creations and Daring Feats, or Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti.

17 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Very Modern, October 10, 2009

By 

Anthony J. Eschmann "knittingduck" (New Orleans, La.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting (Paperback)

I was disappointed in this book. As a traditional lace knitter I was anxious to see what was being done currently. Nothing appealed to me in the entire book. This is of course a matter of taste; it reminded me of "modernized" editions of Shakespeare, or operas that don't work at all.

knittingduck

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extreme Fiber Arts, September 12, 2010

By 

bertlaud - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting (Paperback)

I wish I could have seen the Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting show live! But since I couldn't, having the book is the next best thing. Its an exciting array of working outside the box and stretching the limits of wonderful possibilities! Lets your imagination run wild and free!