This seminar uses the Textile Resource Center of the Department of Fiber and Material Studies of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as source material to explore artist research practices. An emphasis is placed on slow looking and hands-on study of objects to gain an understanding of textile and fiber structures, material choices, modes of fabrication and production, while assessing larger frames of cultural context, meaning and metaphor. Through thoughtful guided close observation, we learn about the complex lives of objects and the stories that they tell us to inspire and act as a foundation for our own creative work.
Guests include artists, scholars, conservators, scientists and engineers, and anthropologists to extend our perspectives in how we view and understand objects. We take field trips to the Museum, and also address topics in collections care, exhibition, installation, curation, and collections management.