Diasporas thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Diasporas

Hanging
2005 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Norma Starszakowna's textiles deal with the complex relationships which link the past with the present. Oscillating between architectural installation, textile art and clothing, she focuses on the three dimensional surface qualities that can be achieved during the printing and dyeing process. The success of her experimental and innovative methods was recognised as early as 1977 when she received a Scottish Arts Council Award for research into new processes. Diasporas is the latest in a series of textile hangings which relate directly to the history and memories embedded in walls and buildings. Each piece is inscribed with fragments of graffiti and messages that are highly evocative and include subtle references to both universal truths and highly personal experiences. Born in Scotland, Starszakowna remembers as a child standing on her father's shoulders, pinning his political pamphlets high up on walls beyond the reach of human destruction. Starszakowna has been highly influential in both the development of textile art and in her role in higher education. She has played a pioneering role in informing important revolutions in printing and dyeing techniques and in redefining craft as a politicized endeavour.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleDiasporas (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Screen printed silk organza, heated treated latex rubber
Brief description
'Diasporas', screen printed white silk organza hanging, heat treated with latex rubber, by Norma Starszakowna, Scotland, 2005.
Physical description
Screen printed white silk organza hanging, heat treated with latex rubber
Dimensions
  • Length: 3220cm
  • Width: 420cm
Production typeUnique
Object history
Diasporas is the latest in a series of textile hangings which relate directly to the history and memories embedded in walls and buildings. Each piece is inscribed with fragments of graffiti and messages that are highly evocative and include subtle references to both universal truths and highly personal experiences. As a child Starszakowna remembers standing on her father's shoulders, pinning his political pamphlets high up on walls beyond the reach of human destruction.
Historical context
Norma Starszakowna has undertaken a number of public commissions which relate directly to the history and memories embedded in walls and buildings. In 2003 she won the international competition to design a permanent installation for the new Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh. The installation 'Hinterland' consists of 18 silk organza panels that combine digital printing, hand painting and embossed detailing and reflects Scotland's landscape, industries, its cultural history and tradition of innovation. She has designed for the Dovecot Studios, who have an international reputation for collaborating with contemporary artists. Starszakowna has exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally and her work has influenced Issey Miyake and other Japanese designers, particularly the incorporation of rush and metal in wearable cloths.
Production
Attribution note: Exhibited at COLLECT 2006
Reason For Production: Exhibition
Summary
Norma Starszakowna's textiles deal with the complex relationships which link the past with the present. Oscillating between architectural installation, textile art and clothing, she focuses on the three dimensional surface qualities that can be achieved during the printing and dyeing process. The success of her experimental and innovative methods was recognised as early as 1977 when she received a Scottish Arts Council Award for research into new processes. Diasporas is the latest in a series of textile hangings which relate directly to the history and memories embedded in walls and buildings. Each piece is inscribed with fragments of graffiti and messages that are highly evocative and include subtle references to both universal truths and highly personal experiences. Born in Scotland, Starszakowna remembers as a child standing on her father's shoulders, pinning his political pamphlets high up on walls beyond the reach of human destruction. Starszakowna has been highly influential in both the development of textile art and in her role in higher education. She has played a pioneering role in informing important revolutions in printing and dyeing techniques and in redefining craft as a politicized endeavour.
Collection
Accession number
T.20-2006

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Record createdOctober 11, 2006
Record URL
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