IN THE GALLERIES
Material World by Niloo Paydar Curator of Textile and Fashion ArtS
For centuries, sumptuously embellished clothing and furnishings have been used to convey notions of prestige and wealth. Dress and other material possessions can act as symbols of status and power, indicating social class and signifying religious and cultural associations. Material World, the current exhibition presented in the Paul Textile and Fashion Arts galleries, explores the universal allure of luxurious clothing and furnishings. The extraordinary textiles in Material World were chosen for their opulent surface ornamentation and were assembled to illustrate the relationship between materialism and wealth. Divided into several sections, these elaborately decorated furnishings and garments feature metallic threads, beads, shells, pearls, rhinestones, feathers and other exotic objects. Many of these materials were considered to have religious or magical powers, some were used as currency, but all these precious commodities were highly prized for their rarity and exoticism. Representing cultures from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and the South Pacific, Material World features more than 50 works from the IMA’s esteemed textile and fashion arts collection, some of which have never been shown at the Museum before. Created for the wealthy and nobility of very different cultures, they all share a common thread; they were produced to communicate power, sexuality, and most of all, beauty.
Material World is on view in the Paul Textile and Fashion Arts Galleries through February 6.
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