Study this picture. For me, it is the epitome of a visual understanding of a way of life. The women pictured here is of Peruvian decent, and her colorful handmade textiles are nestled in the vast Andean mountains. Though I know little of the reality of her life, these culturally unique textiles represent a vignette into her exsistence, and the lives of those around her. What do the colors used say about the traditions of her country? Does the roughness of the fiber or the subtle distortion of pattern reflect some idiosyncrasy of the people of Peru? How do they compare to say, the flourishing damask of a victorian dress?
Historically speaking, the textiles of individual cultures have represented the status of the wearer, the wealth of the region, the values and tradtions of a people, or even the way in which humans have facilitated their progress through the use of natural resources. They range from the rawness and simplicity of a Bhuddist monk’s saffron robes, to the opulence and ornamentation of Elizabethan England. The Ancient Chinese were the first to harvest the thread from silk worms and weave it into fabric to become painted tapestries and garments fit for an empress. As far back as Biblical times, dye for the color purple was painstakingly harvested from the glands of 8,500 Trumpet snails in order to produce one gram, thus, the color is rarely seen on any textile not intended for Royalty. These kinds of facts can be examined to allow us to know and understand so much more about a country, region, culture, civilization even without the opportunity to be there physically.
As for myself, who you will otherwise know as OpulentJackal, the passion and longing to travel, experience, and understand has been distilled in me since the day of my birth. From my travels and experiences as an expatriate, I have been humbled by the awsome complexity to be found in each and every culture. I’ve also come to realize that the examples of this complexity can be found in the countless textiles true to each region. I hope that with this blog, both you and I can explore the wonders of foreign textiles. I intend for it to be somewhat of a “library” of cultures that can be viewed at random to give the reader a taste of the visual reality of a country. I certainly do not want to hoard my personal experience in travelling to myself, and in this way I hope to create something unique and entertaining. I also have the opportunity to share with you items from my family’s personal collections of textiles dating from periods of peace and turmoil. Along with all of the nessesary factual information, you will also find little tidbits of insight from an artist’s point of view (my other passion!).
With that said, enjoy. Come back frenquently and don’t be afraid to offer your own reflections as well. When all is said and done, the significance of this project is to be able to step back and view the bigger picture. Every culture has something unique and valuable to offer.
