Unravel: The Power & Politics of Textiles in Art at The Barbican
Unravel threads together works by no fewer than 50 artists, from Louise Bourgeois to LJ Roberts, Tschabalala Self to Tracey Emin, in an exhibition that foregrounds the role of textiles in both preserving the past (think Loretta Pettway’s quilts for Gee’s Bend in Alabama) and fighting for a fairer future (see Margarita Cabrera’s “cacti”, stitched from US Border Patrol uniforms by Latin American immigrants).
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Sargent and Fashion at Tate Britain
James Finch’s curation of 60 John Singer Sargent portraits brings the dark velvets, pale taffetas and theatrical flourishes that defined fashion in the Age of Opulence into focus. To quote Sargent himself, “The coat is the picture,” a fact evidenced here by portraits ranging from “Madame X” to “Lady Agnew”.
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Okashi at Michael Hoppen Gallery
Gallerist Michael Hoppen’s fascination with Japanese photography dates back to the ’70s, with prints from Eikoh Hosoe’s Ordeal by Roses and Masahisa Fukase’s The Solitude of Ravens on display in his mesmerising exhibition Okashi. It’s the textiles, though, that the fashion crowd will be most enamoured with, particularly those dyed with indigo to that distinctive “Japan Blue” shade.
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