Feel the Beat: Felted Textiles

×

Expand

courtesy Jennifer Angus

Assortment of felted objects created by the Association of Craft Producers (ACP).

Assortment of felted objects created by the Association of Craft Producers (ACP).

Get the feels for felt this fall. Felt happens when one accidentally or on purpose agitates wool, creating a dense mat of fabric (as anyone who has mistakenly washed a wool sweater in the machine can attest). It's one of the oldest “constructed” textiles. The UW-Madison’s textile program takes a closer look at felt in physical and sociological terms with this exhibit, which highlights the communal nature of creating felt in some cultures, with felt pieces from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, along with new works from makers in Kathmandu, Nepal, and Iluman, Ecuador. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; and noon-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

media release: Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery, September 4, 2024 @ 10:00 am - December 1, 2024 @ 4:00 pm

Join us from 4-7 pm on Oct. 16 in celebrating the fall 2024 exhibitions in the Ruth Davis Design Gallery and Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery. Hear from collaborators and participants from Feel the Beat: Felted Textiles and Material Intelligence  and enjoy refreshments and explore the exhibitions as the relate to our 2024-25 season theme, “Work in Progress.” Please RSVP by October 2.

Felt is considered to be the oldest constructed textile, predating weaving, knitting and knotted fabric structures. It is created through a process of rolling, agitation, and beating which causes the wool fibers to mat together forming a solid piece of cloth. This process has led to felt being called a percussion textile because they are often communally made and pounding the cloth in an almost rhythmic manner is essential to their creation. Utilizing felt pieces from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, along with new works from two communities of feltmakers, the Association of Craft Producers (ACP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, and those of Unay Muchiku in Iluman, Ecuador, this exhibition will explore the history of an ancient textile and demonstrate its multiple uses today as a symbol of cultural identity, creative expression, and sustainable eco-friendly material used in buildings and industry.

Makers from both the ACP and Unay Muchiku were introduced to each other virtually to engage in a cultural exchange which consisted of sharing products each group made and the technical knowledge through demonstrations. They were then asked to create new work inspired by their colleagues on another continent.  Despite barriers of language these women have found common ground and delight in an exchange through making.

This exhibition is co-sponsored by the International Projects Office in the International Division and the Center for South Asia. Support for this exhibition comes from the Anonymous Fund.