Caves

Text Tile showcases textile-based practices of over 50 artists within Australia and New Zealand, to represent the full spectrum of woven and non-woven techniques and a wide variety of printing and dyeing methods. This exhibition will be an ode to and celebration of laboured process, anthropological history of craft and cultural perspectives of fabric. Textiles have a rich history. Whether created for insulation, comfort, or decoration, out of utilitarian or luxurious raw materials, textiles represent the iconographic and ornamental expressions of their respective civilizations, as well as the geographic and historical paths by which the techniques and motifs employed in their creation have traveled from one civilization to another. Their portability in fact made them one of the most significant commodities in human history. The industrial revolution brought about the shift towards mass production, new materials and efficient techniques, however; artists have held onto the traditional weaving skills of the past. These skills are passed down through generations as tactile memory. Materiality takes us back to our primordial selves, sense of touch and connection to materials connects us to our past while being present and moving towards the future. Fabric holds so much information about society, about who we are, about industry, and what’s going on in the world.

Curated by Anna Fiedler, Madeline Simm and Tia Ansell

This exhibition is a part of CAVES Guest Curator Program 2021 - and made possible with support from Creative Victoria.