color a natural history of the palette by victoria finlay

Here, and throughout the book, Finlay takes the reader on a journey of personal discovery - acting as a curious yet knowledgeable guide rather than a detached instructor. But rather than providing a didactic history lesson, the author re-examines her own understanding of well-worn historical narratives. The complex history of cotton is particularly notable, spanning continents and carrying entangled legacies of colonialism, industrial progress, slavery and modern capitalism. Each of the book’s 11 chapters focuses on a different fabric: wool, linen, silk. Additionally, she writes of these materials with such wonderment - such reverence - that one cannot help believing in the “hidden magic” she insists is spun into each fiber.įinlay begins her explorations in Papua, New Guinea, where she unlocks the mysteries of Maisin barkcloth, and ends in Gee’s Bend, Ala., where she learns about the community’s rich tradition of patchwork quilts. It’s a tall order, to be sure - but she delivers, and does so with deft cultural consciousness.

Just as she did in “Color: A Natural History of the Palette,” Finlay provides an exhaustive exploration that spans the breadth of the globe over the course of centuries. “Fabric: The Hidden History of the Material World ” teases out the stories behind the materials - exalting them as builders of civilizations, instruments of advancement and keepers of sacred tradition. In her latest book, Victoria Finlay gives them their due. The textiles in our lives tend to operate with inappreciable fanfare - often serving as artistic intermediary. Little consideration is given to the materiality of what we wear.

“What are you wearing?” It’s a question that typically invokes designers, brands and trends. FABRIC: The Hidden History of the Material World, by Victoria Finlay

Color a natural history of the palette by victoria finlay