Service or Sacrilege? The Dilemma of Textile Art Fragments

Have you seen these?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Amazing creativity isn’t it?!!

❤️

The ones that I have are in good but not in perfect condition – usage, withering natural life of the fibre and so on.

It lies in my shelves carefully folded and packed – but missing out on the adulation it deserves.

In its original format of a cape, display isn’t possible for me.

Maybe I’ll salvage the healthy parts and make something else out of it that I could use.

But given the holy reverence for these rare textiles from vanishing cultures, I feel like it might be sacrilege to cut it up further even if I am making it useful and bringing the art out to be seen by the world once again….

Acquired over 10 years ago with great excitement I have enjoyed the art but this debate has raged on in my head about all the ‘not-perfect-condition’ pieces with me.

One suggestions I received: “Donate to a museum” Easier said than done! Try donating a piece or two that is not a Van Gogh or does not have the provenance of a celebrity to any museum – it would probably take several days (if not weeks) of work and in the end the proposal to donate will probably face rejection on account of its low value / condition / not the focus of the museum / no storage space. Museums do have their capacity limitations too. Unfortunately.

The next suggestion: “Set up a museum”!  Excellent idea. In theory. But the admin of it all would require the engagement of several lives.  Further, even if the museum were to acquire its entire collection via a donation, the administrative expenses alone would be mind-boggling – it is not an idea that will sustain itself financially.

So what do we do with our pieces in “seen-better-days” condition?

Looking forward to resolving the conflict in my head.

Any thoughts?

See details on WOVENSOULS.COM Asset Code 228

***

jaina mishra

november 2018

*some of the photos are from the internet