Modern Forms Of Tapestry

by Robart Alex

The tapestry form has come a long way. The earliest know work in this art from dates back to the reign of Helen. The form originated In Europe and spent many centuries traversing the length and breadth of the countryside, fining its place alongside popular art instead of 'high art'. When the artisans first discovered the form, the only people who could afford to have tapestry decor were member of the royal family and other important members of state. However, the form soon became popular as very often, artisans would attempt to tell stories through a tapestry.

The Forms

The Bayeux Form

The most interesting that has arisen from the parent form, is the Bayeux Tapestry. This form tells the story of the Norman Conquest. Though it is hard to say if anyone continues to use this form, it was greatly appreciated for its detail and precise story telling. The wall hanging is even equipped with Latin sub titles. Today, you can find this collection at a especially dedicated Museum in Normandy.

The Jacquard Form

The Jacquard form denotes a type of Tapestry made on a special loom called the Jacquard Loom. The form is a relatively recent one. When it began, artisans were using a loom to recreate the designs seen in specimens from the medieval ages. These recreations were usually used as Wall decor and for upholstery. These pieces were created using the Jacquard loom.

The Jacquard Form has become a landmark one because it has paved the way for woven art to enter mainstream design. These reproductions of middle age art made it highly accessible for the common man. It also served to educate people about the art forms and designs that had been lost and forgotten over time. A very important person who is associated with the recent revival of this art form is Cluck Close. He managed to reproduce the designs made on the Jacquard loom on the computer. The designs produced by him became popular during the early 1990s.

Typically the Jacquard Loom creates multicolored designs. These designs have a certain optical pull or effect on the viewer. The design achieves this by using a special blind of colors with a particular intensity. The end result is an optically mesmerizing product. The colors themselves come to create a design. Therefore, the design is not a well detailed story or picture, but a more overlapping, merging effect through color. This method goes by the name pointillism.

The modern renditions are also greatly dependent on modern technology. Very rarely does one fin the usual hand crafted designs and forms of yore. The designs, in the modern age, are by consequence going farther away from the original designs. Almost every from of art has succumbed to the effects of modernization such as - Paintings; especially oil paintings are printed to look just like the original. In fact, from a distance you may not be able to tell an actual oil painting from its printed nemesis. The original forms are now relegated to small workshops and craft rooms.