The Modern Embroidery Movement

Description

WINNER OF A CHOICE OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLE AWARD 2018 In the early twentieth century, Marguerite Zorach and Georgiana Brown Harbeson were at the forefront of the modern embroidery movement in the United States. In the first scholarly examination of their work and influence, Cynthia Fowler explores the arguments presented by these pioneering women and their collaborators for embroidery to be considered as art. Using key exhibitions and contemporary criticism, The Modern Embroidery Movement focuses extensively on the individual work of Zorach and Brown Harbeson, casting a new light on their careers. Documenting a previously marginalised movement, Fowler brings together the history of craft, art and women's rights and firmly establishes embroidery as a significant aspect of modern art.

Cynthia Fowler is a feminist art historian and professor of art at Emmanuel College, Boston. She received her PhD from the University of Delaware in 2002 and also holds fellowships from the Smithsonian Institute, the Winterthur Museum, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Previous work includes Hooked Rugs: Encounters in American Modern Art, Craft and Design and Locating American Art: Finding Meaning in Art Museums.

Cynthia Fowler has written a key text which examines the lives and significant works of women embroiderers who were practicing at the forefront of 'modern embroidery' in the United States in the early twentieth century. * Angie Wyman, Course Leader for Hand Embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework, UK * This rigorous account of the Modern Embroidery Movement in America firmly situates stitch within the fine arts of twentieth century art history whilst acknowledging the particular characteristics of working with a marginalised material. Cynthia Fowler's book addresses an important period of art long neglected due to its gendered materials, and is essential art history for artists and embroiderers alike. * Ele Carpenter, Senior Lecturer in Curating at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK * Cynthia Fowler's "The Modern Embroidery Movement" provides an insightful examination of the work of a selection of American artists who turned to embroidery as a medium through which to express their understanding of modernity in visual terms. The author reveals the complex relationship between art, craft, and the decorative, as well as the ways in which all three intersected with industrial production and the social, political and economic rights of women. * Frances Pohl, Professor of Art History at Pomona College, USA * To those readers who-consciously or unconsciously-continue to adhere to the art/craft hierarchy, try not to be persuaded by Fowler's elegant discussion that positions embroidery as art. This book provides ample primary sources and careful visual analysis as evidence. * Julia Skelly, Faculty Lecturer in Art History at McGill University, Canada * Cynthia Fowler brings to life the work of the artists who formed America's Modern Embroidery Movement in this beautifully written and richly illustrated book. In recovering their important contributions, Fowler eloquently reveals the central place of embroidery in modern art. * Lorinda Cramer, Research Fellow in Arts and Education at Deakin University, Australia *