From Social Order To Cultural Meaning:Traditional And Fiber Art In The Contemporary Context

This thesis will position fiber art in the context of contemporary art while researching fiber art’s origins, development, and direction in relation to its social background and cultural trends. Through researching case studies, this paper will look at traditional textile art to explore textile’s constructive use in society and the corresponding traditional textile culture that resulted. The significance of this traditional textile culture in both the creation and comprehension of contemporary fiber art goes beyond the legacy of materials or technology passed on through the generations and establishes a dialogue across time, between the contemporary and traditional. Fiber art’s traditional function in social life indicates a social order and corresponding fiber/textile culture, which progressively changes directions, adapts, and reconstructs itself to play an ever important role in establishing meaning in today’s society and culture.This paper uses empirical research with the help of art history, artworks, cultural artifacts, images, crafts, and artist cases to explore and illuminate its points. The introduction delves in from aspects of personal study experience to elaborate on the current status of contemporary fiber art and existing issues, and the research process expands from this. The first chapter "Fiber Art in the Contemporary Art Context," focuses on some of the characteristic developments of Western contemporary art during the1960s, including the early artists to use fiber materials and artworks in a contemporary art context. This chapter will also analyze the different attitudes of Western artists towards art history and traditional culture and their diverse creative practices with regard to fibers, seeking to clarify the early stages of contemporary fiber art. The second chapter "Soft Social Order:Song Dynasty Interior Textiles" researches examples of traditional Song Dynasty interior textiles. From evidence reflected in traditional textiles’ materials, techniques, spatial layout, cultural spirit, etc., a social order may be reconstructed and a traditional textile culture begins to emerge, with widespread significance for sociological research. The third chapter,"Continuous Dialogue:Traditional Genes in Contemporary Fiber Art," re-examines the influence of traditional textile culture, materials, techniques, forms, etc, on contemporary fiber art with respect to contemporary society’s diverse cultural backgrounds. The fourth chapter,"Reconstructing the Meaning of Culture: Diversification of Contemporary Fiber Arts," is an exploration and summary of contemporary fiber art’s related themes and trends. The conclusion expounds upon the preceding summary; fiber art defined as a cultural process:from reflecting social order to reconstructing cultural meaning, at the same time looking ahead to fiber art’s possibilities for the future.