Textile Protest : Artists, Activism, and the Historical Power of Resistance in Cloth

Artists, activism, and the historical power of cloth in protest.

A landmark survey of how textiles have been used for political protest in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including banners, flags, clothing, and pieces from the world of fine art.

Textile Protest showcases the richness and diversity of textiles that have been used to express resistance in its many forms. Protest textiles can be confrontational and explicit, satiric and subversive, or ironic and humorous, and can be used to bridge gaps following conflicts, or to challenge the contentious issues of language, ideology, or imbalances of power. Whether for social justice or peace, to demonstrate opposition to oppression or to celebrate liberty, to honor hope and equality or to express solidarity with others, people have made and united behind protest textiles for hundreds of years. This book forms a valuable history of their use.

The book is thoughtfully illustrated with examples that include heavily embroidered suffragette and trade union banners, the knitted “pussy hats” of the 2017 Women’s March, protest textiles from the Guerrilla Girls, Pride flags that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and the vast variety of textile art in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. It also covers the rich history of fine art textiles with a political theme, such as Judy Chicago’s iconic 1970s installation The Dinner Party, and includes interviews with prominent activist artists that give further insight into the way everyday materials can be repurposed to create arresting political art.

Bold and subversive, beautiful and fascinating, Textile Protest is an important global exploration of how fabric has been used to make a political statement over the years.

Julia Triston is a designer-maker and educator in stitched textiles, with over thirty years of experience teaching in the creative industries. She lectures at degree level, and delivers seminars and training courses in universities, colleges, and schools. Triston’s work has appeared on television as well as being extensively documented in written media, and she regularly uses upcycled underwear for feminist art pieces, appearing on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square in 2009 in one of her “Bra-ra” dresses. She lives in Denmark.