Professor Beverly Gordon of the Design Studies Dept. at UW-Madison will read from her new book, "Textiles The Whole Story: Uses, Meanings, Significance" at the Monroe St. Branch Library in Madison on Monday, Dec 12 at 7 p.m. The evening will include a slide show and Gordon will have some copies of her book for sale. The event is free and open to all.
Not long ago I went to a similar event celebrating the publication of "Textiles The Whole Story" and the many people who assisted Gordon along the way. Judging from the presentation that day, this should be an equally entertaining and informative evening. The book is beautiful, filled with visual riches that the cover doesn't begin to suggest. It's a must for anyone who loves textiles. The illustrations include almost 60 objects from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, part of the School of Human Ecology at UW-Madison.
Here's what the book's publisher, Thames and Hudson, says about it:
"There are few aspects of our lives — physical, emotional, spiritual — in which thread and fabrics do not play a notable part. Beverly Gordon reminds us memorably and movingly of the powerful significance of fabric throughout human history.
The author bridges past and present from the Stone Age, when humans first learned to make cordage or thread, to twenty-first-century “smart fabrics,” which can regulate body temperature or measure the wearer’s pulse. Her discussion integrates art, science, history, and anthropology, and she draws on examples from around the globe.
A dazzling array of illustrations includes paintings and photographs of both historic and contemporary textiles and a broad collection of textiles being created, worn, and lived with."
This book sounds wonderful. I've added it to my shopping list.
Posted by: Altoon | Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 04:16 PM