Textiles in Contemporary Art and their Conservation. 'State of Art'

Abstract

Nowadays, the presence of textiles in the contemporary artistic field, museums and collections is undeniable. In spite of this, the critics have not always accepted its status as an artistic material, as well as the processes and techniques associated with its practice, which continue being questioned. During the twentieth century, a new appreciation of textile materials will be achieved, and its use in the artistic context will be widely extended. The artistic production considered in this study, contemplates the extension of typologies within this renewed contemporary artistic field and their characteristics , since it becomes evident that the formal, material and conceptual specificities of each work, as well as the artist´s intent and opinion, have enormous implications for its conservation. We believe that a revision of the established approaches around the artistic production made with these materials should be made, as well an evaluation of the needs that they may require, in order to conserve and transmit them adequately.