Radical Decadence Excess in Contemporary Feminist Textiles and Craft

155 Pages·2017·22.37 MB·English

by  Julia Skelly

Radical
decadence

Radical
decadence
excess in contemporary feminist
textiles and craft
JUlia SKellY
Bloomsbury Academic
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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First published 2017
© Julia Skelly, 2017
Julia Skelly has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,
1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
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accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: HB: 978-1-4725-6941-7
PB: 978-1-4725-6940-0
ePDF: 978-1-4725-6942-4
ePub: 978-1-4725-6943-1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Skelly, Julia, author.
Title: Radical decadence: excess in contemporary feminist textiles and craft/Julia Skelly.
Description: New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016041060 (print) | LCCN 2016043094 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781472569400 (paperback) | ISBN 9781472569417 (hardback) |
ISBN 9781472569424 (ePDF) | ISBN 9781472569431 (ePUB)
Subjects: LCSH: Feminism and art. | Women artists. | Art and craft debate. |
Excess (Philosophy) | BISAC: SOCIAL SCIENCE/Feminism & Feminist Theory. |
DESIGN/Textile & Costume.
Classification: LCC N72.F45 S59 2017 (print) | LCC N72.F45 (ebook) | DDC 704/.042–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016041060
Cover design by Catherine Wood
Cover image © ChristinaK / Getty Images
Typeset by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
“My dear fellow, as if I cared!”
—Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)
vi
contentS
List of illustrations viii
Acknowledgments xii
Introduction: Decadence, feminism, and “excess” 1

1 Consuming craft, cupcakes, and cocaine:
Orly Cogan, Shane Waltener, and Shelley Miller 25
2 Pleasure craft: Nava Lubelski, Mickalene Thomas,
and Shary Boyle 49
3 Bad women? Tracey Emin, Ghada Amer,
and Allyson Mitchell 73
4 “The decaying fabrics of life and death”:
Rozanne Hawksley’s Textile Art 101
Bibliography 113
Index 123
liSt of illUStRationS
Plates
1 Judy Chicago (American, born 1939). The Dinner Party, 1974–79. Ceramic,
porcelain, textile, 576 × 576 in. (1463 × 1463 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of The
Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation, 2002.10. © Judy Chicago
2 Orly Cogan, Bittersweet Obsession, 2008. Vintage fabric, stitching, appliqué, paint.
127 × 127 cm. Museum of Art and Design, New York. Courtesy of the artist
3 Orly Cogan, Mirror, Mirror, 2006. Hand-stitched embroidery, paint, and crochet on
vintage linen, 19 × 24 in. Courtesy of the artist
4 Orly Cogan, Confections, 2006. Courtesy of the artist
5 Nava Lubelski, Clumsy, 2007. Collection of the artist. Copyright Nava Lubelski
6 Shary Boyle, To Colonize the Moon, 2008. Porcelain, china paint, luster, diamond,
mirror. 25 × 29 × 40 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Photo by Rafael Goldchain
7 Mickalene Thomas, Are You That Someone?, 2010. Rhinestones, acrylic, enamel
on wood panel. © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas, Lehmann
Maupin, New York and Hong Kong, and Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
8 Mickalene Thomas, I Learned the Hard Way, 2010. Rhinestones, acrylic, enamel
on wood panel, 120 × 96 in. © Mickalene Thomas. Courtesy of Mickalene Thomas,
Susanne Veilmetter Los Angeles Projects, Los Angeles and Artists Rights Society
(ARS), New York
9 Shary Boyle, Ouroboros, 2006. Porcelain, enamel, luster, 16 × 26 × 18 cm.
Collection of the artist.
10 Ghada Amer, Pink, 2000. Acrylic, embroidery, and gel medium on canvas, 48 × 50
in. (122 × 127 cm)
11 Ghada Amer, Knotty But Nice, 2005. Acrylic, embroidery, and gel medium on
canvas, 108 × 144 in. (274.3 × 365.8 cm)
12 Allyson Mitchell, detail from exhibition of Ladies Sasquatch, 2010. Found
textiles, wood, Styrofoam, plastic, glass, fiberglass, and metal. McMaster
Museum of Contemporary Art, Hamilton, Ontario. Photograph by Cat O’Neil.
Courtesy of the artist
liSt of illUStRationS ix
13 Rozanne Hawksley, Et ne non inducas (And Lead Us Not), 1987–89. Glove,
22 cm long. Courtesy of artist and Philip Hughes of Ruthin Craft Centre
14 Rozanne Hawksley, Libera me, domine, de morte aeterna (Deliver me, oh Lord,
from eternal death), 1992. White glove with black sleeve with pearls, bones,
and crucifix in black-lined box. Courtesy of artist and Philip Hughes of Ruthin
Craft Centre
15 Rozanne Hawksley, Aimez-vous le big Mac?, 2008. Glove. Courtesy of artist
and Philip Hughes of Ruthin Craft Centre
16 Rozanne Hawksley, Queen of Spades, 2008. White glove with black lace
overlay, jewels, and painted vellum playing cards. Courtesy of artist and
Philip Hughes of Ruthin Craft Centre
figures
introduction
Figure 0.1 Aubrey Beardsley, The Woman in the Moon, for Salomé, 1893. Black
ink and graphite on white wove paper. 23 × 16.5 cm (9 1/16 × 6 ½ in.)
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L.
Winthrop, 1943.643. Photo: Imaging Department © President and
Fellows of Harvard College 8
Figure 0.2 Aubrey Beardsley, The Peacock Skirt, for Salomé, 1893. Black ink
and graphite on white wove paper. 23 × 16.8 cm (9 1/16 × 6 5/8 in.).
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L.
Winthrop, 1943.649. Photo: Imaging Department © President and
Fellows of Harvard College 9
Figure 0.3 Aubrey Beardsley, John and Salome, for Salomé, 1893. Black ink and
graphite on white wove paper. 23.3 × 16.4 cm (9 3/16 × 6 7/16 in.)
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L.
Winthrop, 1943.651. Photo: Imaging Department © President and
Fellows of Harvard College 9
Figure 0.4 Aubrey Beardsley, The Eyes of Herod, for Salomé, 1893. Black ink and
graphite on white wove paper. 22.9 × 16.9 cm (9 × 6 5/8 in.). Harvard
Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop,
1943.631. Photo: Imaging Department © President and Fellows of
Harvard College 10
Figure 0.5 Aubrey Beardsley, The Stomach Dance, for Salomé, 1893. Black ink
and graphite with corrections in white gouache on white wove paper.
22.6 × 16.6 cm (8 7/8 × 6 9/16 in.). Harvard Art Museums/Fogg
Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop, 1943.634. Photo: Imaging
Department © President and Fellows of Harvard College 10