In modern textile design and production decorative options are virtually limitless – colours, patterns and even three-dimensional reliefs can be created in or on fabrics, largely regardless of the raw (natural or synthetic) materials used. In earlier centuries, however, this was not the case; rather, the fibres used (primarily linen, wool and silk) each possessed specific properties that could be exploited or even enhanced to create particularly interesting effects. Producers and consumers possessed the ‘material literacy’ required to choose fibres, techniques and decorating processes to achieve the results they were aiming for; they were able to assess the amount of labour involved just as precisely as the qualities and luxury options that could be realized with them.

This course will introduce participants to this material literacy (and the ‘material logic’ associated with it) and familiarise them with the range of design possibilities that came with traditional materials and practices. Using historical examples, they will be able to observe how new techniques expanded the range of creative options and produced increasingly sophisticated effects. The use of luxury textiles – in interior design as well as in clothing – will also be examined: the specific impact of textile decorations often only became apparent through the interplay of space, light and movement.

The course will conclude with an overview of the changes brought about by the industrialisation of textile production; building on the knowledge gained throughout the semester, new developments and their evaluation will be discussed.

The course will be held on Wednesday from 2 – 5 p.m. on the following dates: 28 October, 11 and 25 November, 9 December 2026, 13 and 27 January and 10 February 2027.

Apart from meetings in Mart Stam-Raum we will have an excursion, this time to visit the textile department at Deutsches Technik-Museum.