I need to say that I was moved to explore the theme of the month: Textile Artists , after my own personal experience over the last few months. In fact, I believe that what I choose to share here is never devoid of self-reference.
Two women were the main inspirations to bring this month's stories to the world: Fran (@obordoatelie) who leads the most passionate Embroidery Circle here in Porto and keeps me in constant proximity to this knowledge and Estefânia (@subtrama_) with whom I had the pleasure of taking totally mindblowing classes about textiles and a whole universe that fits within this theme, which is beautiful, controversial and sensitive.
I want to start with the story of Gunta Stölzl , who I discovered a few years ago, a visionary of textile design, who played a crucial role in transforming the Bauhaus textile workshop , establishing weaving as a modern and expressive art form.
It is also no coincidence that I start with her. When I started embroidering in 2020, it was her weaving works that inspired an embroidery that I only finished this year (2024).
That said, let's get to the bottom of this story...
Challenging Conventions
Gunta's story is a story marked by the elevation of textiles and the female role to the level of recognition at a time when women were relegated to the backstage of the artistic world.
Born in Munich in 1897, she began her studies in glass painting, decorative arts and ceramics in 1914. Her studies, however, were interrupted by the war. She volunteers to work as a Red Cross nurse.
Early Years at the Bauhaus
When she resumed her studies after the War, she found the Bauhaus manifesto. She then decides to take summer classes to gain her experimental acceptance into Johannes Itten's preliminary course. Not only was she accepted into the Bauhaus, she also received a scholarship.
In her early years she was perceived as a leader of what was called the “women's department”, which was in fact the weaving department.
After improving her studies on her own, as Georg Muche, who was the head of the weaving workshop at the time, had very little interest in the craft itself, she begins to guide the students, albeit unofficially.
Master at Bauhaus
As the environment at the Weimar Bauhaus was very conducive for students to teach each other, Gunta gained leadership space.
She officially assumed the role of master only in 1927, with Muche's departure. In her artistic practice she began to try to move away from the connotations of "women's work" from her art, applying the vocabulary used in modern art and moving increasingly in the direction of industrial design . She was also responsible for including mathematics classes in the technical instructions.
Gunta also created the first joint project between the school and the textile company Berlin Polytex, which wove and sold Bauhaus designs. The weaving department was the School's main source of funding and the most successful under Stölzl's direction.
Innovation
With a pioneering spirit, she introduced new techniques and materials into textile production. She experimented with unconventional materials and explored the structural possibilities of fabrics.
She also pioneered the development of textile techniques that allowed mass production while maintaining a high aesthetic standard, a balance that was central to the Bauhaus ideals of beauty combined with functionality.
Weaving the Future
Gunta is fired from the school due to the political atmosphere of the time, shortly before the School is actually closed by the Nazis. She moves to Zurich where she opens her own hand weaving company.
Gunta Stölzl's impact extends beyond her own work and direct contributions. She helped establish textile design as a respected art form.
Her legacy is visible not only in the pieces she created, which continue to be displayed in museums around the world, but especially in her experimental approach to teaching textile design.