SUNDAY, April 3, 2016

A Two–Part Program on Tapestries

PART 1  -  Gallery tour:  

 “Woven Gold: Tapestries of Louis XIV”

with

Charissa Bremer-David,
Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts, the J. Paul Getty Center, and Curator of this exhibition

Tour of the exhibition exclusively for TMA/SC members (and guests, space permitting,) with Charissa Bremer-David.  The Sun King, Louis XIV of France, who reigned from 1643 to 1715, formed the greatest collection of tapestries in early modern Europe.  Extraordinary resources of time, money, and talent were allocated to the creation of these works, which were meticulously woven by hand with wool, silk, and precious metal-wrapped thread, after designs by the most esteemed artists.  As patron, heir, and collector, Louis XIV vastly augmented the prestigious French royal collection of tapestries. Displayed within his palaces while in residence and in outdoor courtyards on feast days, these monumental hangings embodied and proclaimed his magnificence; fourteen of these tapestries and related artworks are now on display at the Getty.  
                                           PART 2  -  LECTURE:   
                    “Making Tapestries Now: Digital Jacquard and a Renewed Form”

                                                                          with

John Nava, Tapestry Artist

The tapestry cycles installed in the Los Angeles Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, by artist John Nava, constitute one of the largest weaving commissions of the last hundred years. They re-introduced tapestry as a medium for monumental works on an architectural scale, and incorporated modern industrial Jacquard weaving technology. In this talk, Nava outlines his personal experience with this technology, the fascinating properties of the form, and the developments that have followed.