Needlework

Question 1

General Overview

Answer 1

• Needlework: anything involving use of a needle, traditionally known as feminine, dainty, pretty
• From 16th/17th century needlework used for women to keep the home looking good and keep women busy, thought was that if women were kept busy their minds would remain pure and they wouldn’t get up to anything bad
• would show women’s class/education through their ability in needlework, showcasing status as well as status of the husband

Question 2

Examples

Answer 2

• Ann MacBeth, Jessie Newberry’s most successful student: ‘Sleeping Beauty’ c.1902, silk with applique shapes
• MacBeth, “the distinction between fine and useful art forgotten”
• WSPU Holloway Banner, quilt with 80 embroidered signatures of women who had gone on hunger strike
• Mary Lowndes (V&A), creates many feminist banners, described them in a sexual, non-domestic tone
• ‘Hammersmith Banner’, extremely high standard of skill, paint embroidery, mixed medium, iris symbol for femininity, horse-shoe and hammer masculine symbols, ‘Deeds nto Words’, demanding equality of the sexes,
• The Dinner Party, Judy Chicago
• 1981 Sappho Banner, making an invisible group visible. white - purity, green - hope, purple - loyalty
• Sally Hewett ‘Stopped at the Border’ 2017, depicting real situation of man who stitched his lips together, use of embroidery to tackle relevant subjects, interested by bodies that are impacted by life, scars, inperfections etc.

Question 3

GSA & Glasgow

Answer 3

• GSA major contributor in placing importance in textiles
• Jessie Newberry transformed department into a leading school in the UK
• needlework was treated as equal to the other departments at GSA
• Jessie supported the arts and crafts ethose that everything should be beautiful
• Jessie taught primary/secondary school teachers how to teach textiles in order to incorporate textiles into peoples every day lives and normalise it
• Glasgow Art Club and (women allowed to join in 1983) Scottish Arts Club (1982) had no women in them, women were not allowed to attend life drawing classes