One More Thing from Tilburg

Pop Art Fabrics and Fashion – From Warhol to Westwood

Temporary exhibition Textiel Museum, Tilburg

The exhibition was on the ground floor in the museum located between the Lab and the historical gallery. Having had such openness of conversation and photography even with the commissioned pieces happening in the Lab it was strange to move to  space of no photographs. So my initial visit had some sneaky pictures, my second visit I asked and the guard was kind enough to say yes for educational purposes. Which with the complexity of the exhibition narrative and some innovative textile and fashion curation was really helpful to record for future reference.

The exhibition opened in the era of Rock ‘n Roll with some excellent examples of how textile print captured the zest and energy of the time. Textiles as an advertising and marketing a tool were presented through pieces from Bassett’s Liquorice allsorts, Bass Long Life Beer and Martini. This was innovative brand development and pieces that are often discarded. The Martini printed fabric had been made into a circular skirt confirming the sophisticated message of the drink and its standing as an aspirational brand.

sneaky photo hence blurred.......martini skirt

The hook of the exhibition were the pieces from Andy Warhol and Vivienne Westwood. I have a mixed relationship with Warhol. I am in awe of his ability to grab the zeitgeist of the time and be such an innovator. The taking of his work by Philip Treacy to create headwear breathed new life into over used visuals. So I stepped into this part of the exhibition determined to remove my pre-conceived thoughts and biases. I was justly rewarded. The textiles pieces were fresh and exquisitely created and charted the time pre fame when Warhol worked as a graphic designer and created textile designs. With the current vintage pattern trends the fabrics displayed were really appealing. I particularly liked the colours and shapes on the lemon print and the fountain pen print which had been made into a skirt. There were not many pieces in this part of the display but enough to tell the narrative, make one smile and look again at a designer who can be ubiquitous.

Warhol Lemon Print

Turning from the Warhol the exhibition moved cleanly into 1960’s design. The tabloid of fashion was well formed with excellent mannequins, displaying the clothes and the look. Fashion exhibitions can be difficult, a fine line between a shop display and museum narrative. The casing for the stands was beautiful. Sometimes it would be great to just walk into an exhibition and see the exhibition not the accouterments that make it. But I am away on research work, so I guess its allowed!!

Op Art dresses

Great range of Rabanne, Quant, Cardin and some hand made pieces highlighting how the look was taken on by teenagers and youths. The vitrines along side had stunning selections of jewellery and accessories which confirmed the pop art and op  arts impact on fashion and design. The scenography of the exhibition was well designed and implemented.

The two rooms to the right charted the next stage and how music played an influential role. There were some high profile pieces from paper dresses and the adverts that promoted them to pieces designed and worn by the Beatles. I particularly liked the knitwear piece designed by Hockney. Always good to see a bit of Yorkshire.

Hockney designed jumper

The final room showcasing the Westwood pieces was a mix of video, oversized objects, T-shirt design and the clothes from punk. Again well spaced and engaged the viewer. Having such open space to exhibit and showcase work makes such a profound difference.

Really excellent exhibition even more so when I was able to take photographs.......

Farewell Tilburg

Farewell Tilburg

I have packed in so much into the time here, yet would happily stay longer to unearth more about the history of the place and the impact that that has on the success of the museum and the venture of the Lab. Tilburg has similarities with some of our smaller Yorkshire mill towns and Luton and its hatting as the industry was composed of 150 SME’s just 40 larger companies and in its hey day employed 15,000 workers, producing 65% of the wool production in The Netherlands.

Tilburg has no notable industry left socio geographers would see this as Phantom industry in having no direct economic industry but social scars from the past. The museum has become a small catalyst for social regeneration. All the members that I met at the museum were highly positive and saw this as a great opportunity to create new opportunities and tell the story of the textiles industry which had formed the town. The Tilburg model could be another way to do this with the appropriate regional and national support and collaborative structure between artisans, academia and museums.

I first heard of Tilburg from Eugenie van Oirschot, a milliner from The Netherlands, when I attended a workshop with her in Edinburgh. She spoke with such zeal about what the museum and textile lab achieved for designers and the artisan community that I wrote it down in my wish list. To have finally visited and had the opportunity to see it in action thanks to the Winston Churchill Fellowship I understand that passion. The museum is a definite catalyst for change in the community and the region, thanks to its inspirational vision and a team who work together to inspire and aspire to new textiles futures.

The Damask Shed

The Damask Shed

A trip through the gift shop

I nearly missed this gallery space and I wonder if others would too, which would be a shame as the space is beautiful and the light falling onto the looms enhances this. The Gallery tells the story of damask weaving. As with the other spaces beautifully crafted and aesthetically well designed the visitor is drawn through the museum. I had definite bench envy where the film showing the process was. Great film too. Then a more traditional museum casing explored the livery of the Ocean liners, their cutlery, crockery and the damask. A golden age.

Finally the loom shed showing the difference in the fine linen weaving and a shelf unit stacked upon stacked with pattern weaving cards. Things of beauty. Narrative tellers, opportunities, new inspiration.