Claire Heidinger’s essay, “Ornamental Gestures,” presents a compelling argument that the traditional labeling of textile art as mere “craft” or “decorative” objects is unjust and limits our understanding of contemporary art. She argues that textile art deserves critical attention and institutional recognition for its unique ability to engage with important social and political issues. While Heidinger’s argument is specific to textiles, her call to action for greater inclusivity and diversity in the art world resonates with broader discussions about cultural representation and the marginalization of certain art forms.
Since it has always been regarded as a craft or decorative item, textile art has been marginalized in the field of modern art. In her essay Heidinger, however, questions this conventional categorization. In the essay, Heidinger makes the case that textile work is an important and valuable modern art that merits praise and acknowledgment. It is important to note that even if textile work is categorized as a craft it is still an important aspect of the art world because the craft itself has contributed a lot to the world of art.
According to Heidinger, the marginalization of textile art as being associated with domesticity and femininity has prevented it from receiving critical acclaim or institutional acceptance. Similar to this, Zeisler’s “The Art of Feminism” emphasizes how feminist art disrupts gendered biases that have kept women artists out of the canon of art history and challenged conventional ideas of art and culture. Zeisler emphasizes how feminist artists, particularly those working with textiles, have used their medium to address problems with gender, identity, and power.
Heidinger also emphasizes the value of textile art in the modern world in her essay. Essays like “Ornamental Gestures” will definitely play a significant role in redefining our idea of what constitutes “serious” art and who gets to be included in that category as society continues to seek greater inclusivity and diversity. Parker and Pollock reinforce this viewpoint in “Old Mistresses: Women, Art, and Ideology,” where they contend that gender biases have traditionally resulted in the devaluation and dismissal of women’s art. They contend that rather than being acknowledged as fine art, women’s art has been confined to the category of craft, decorative arts, or domestic art.
The connection between gender and the creation of crafts which Heidinger speaks is also examined by Annette Lynch in “The Gendered World of Craft.” She makes the case that because traditionally, making things has been connected with women; the craft has lost value in the eyes of the art world. Lynch observes that certain materials, like textiles, have been given to the domestic and decorative spheres. According to her, textiles are frequently connected to women’s work and the household and have thus been largely left out of great art and high culture. (Lynch 72). She also points out that Textile art has been devalued and underrepresented in museum collections and exhibitions as a result of this exclusion.
Similarly, artist and researcher Janis Jefferies in “Textiles as Feminist Art” highlights the fact that textile art has suffered from marginalization as a result of its link with women’s labor. According to Jefferies, textiles have been and still are seen as inferior art in great part due to their connection to women’s household work. (Jefferies 133). She argues that because of this connection to domesticity, textile art has not received enough institutional or critical attention. However, Jefferies also points out that feminist artists have used textile work to question prevailing views of femininity and domesticity. She writes, “Textiles have been used by feminist artists to explore issues related to gender, sexuality, race, and class, as well as to challenge the traditional binary of art and craft.” (Jefferies 136)
Jessica Hemmings on the other hand investigates the function of craft in modern art and culture in her book “The Politics of Craft.” She argues that craft may address significant social and political themes and that textile art, in particular, has a special capacity to touch audiences viscerally. “Textiles offer a physical, tactile experience that can elicit emotional and intellectual responses,” argues Hemmings. (Hemmings 11). She also mentions how gender, identity, and power-related topics have been explored through textile art. Hemmings claims that textile art has historically been connected with women’s work and is consequently viewed as less significant than “real” art forms, which contributes to its marginalization.
To sum up, Lynch, Jefferies, and Hemmings’ works support Heidinger’s claim that textile art has been marginalized because of its connection to domesticity and femininity. They also show how textile art has the potential to connect with significant social and political issues and subvert conventional ideas of art and craft. It is crucial to acknowledge the worth and significance of textile art challenge the prevalent narratives that have long ignored it and work to achieve greater inclusivity and diversity in the art world. The essay by Heidinger is a strong call to action. It urges us to acknowledge, the worth and significance of textile art, and to reject the prevailing myths that have long marginalized it. It is important to acknowledge that art takes many forms, and that textile art is an important and necessary addition to modern art as we work to create a more just and inclusive world. It is also important because it is predominantly women’s craft and adds their voices and creativity to the art world.
Works Cited
Heidinger, Claire. “Ornamental Gestures.” Visual Resources, vol. 31, no. 3, 2015, pp. 253-265, doi: 10.1080/01973762.2015.1062185.
Hemmings, Jessica. “The Politics of Craft.” Bloomsbury Academic, 2018.
Hemmings, Jessica. “Textiles as Feminist Art.” The Journal of Modern Craft, vol. 1, no. 1, 2008, pp. 73-93.
Jefferies, Janis. Textiles as Feminist Art. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017.
Lynch, Annette. “The Gendered World of Craft.” Berg Publishers, 2003.
Parker, Rozsika, and Griselda Pollock. “Old Mistresses: Women, Art and Ideology.” I.B.
Tauris, 2013.
Zeisler, Laurel. “The Art of Feminism: Images that Shaped the Fight for Equality,
1857-2017.” Chronicle Books, 2018.