Exhibition Report: Embroideries of Colonial Boston: Samplers

The final exhibition I went to see at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston was in its new Art of the Americas wing. Embroideries of Colonial Boston: Samplers, is the first of three Embroidery exhibitions being held throughout the end of this year and the next. Unfortunately I do not believe I will be able to see the others, but this one was well worth it.

I have read about samplers in The Subversive Stitch, but to be able to see them first hand was breathtaking. The stitches are so tiny and neat, the depictions of bible scenes, animals and motifs intricate.

I was particularly taken by some of the mottos embroidered into the samples, which I will share with you here:

Martha Decosta is my name New England is my nation Boston is my dwelling place and Christ is my Salvation
When I am dead and laid in grave and all my bones are rotten in this you see remember me and let me never be forgotten

Sampler by Martha Decosta 1749, Boston Mass.

In prosperity friends will be plenty : but in adversity not one in twenty

Sampler by Hannah Storer, age 8, 1747 Boston, Mass.

O may I always ready stand with my lamp burning in my hand : May in sight of Heaven rejoice whener I hear the bridegrooms voice

Sampler by Prudence Clarke, 1757

If you are in the Boston area for any of the embroidery exhibitions I urge you to go see them. They are very well presented and the information with them is astounding!

Exhibition Report: Scaasi: American Couturier

The second exhibition I went to see at the Muesum of Fine Arts, Boston was Scaasi: American Couturier. This small exhibit showcases the designer’s made to measure work through four of his clients, including Barbra Striesand.

I am ashamed to say I had not heard of Scaasi before, however several of his pieces were recognisable. His use of fabrics really caught my eye. He was not afraid to use bold colours or textures in his work. Several of his pieces from the 1980s oppitimised the time and styles of the period. His pieces for Barbra Striesand emphasised her character and quirkiness while still being elegant and stylish. Scaasi was also not afraid to use new materials of the time. Several of his dresses display plastic beading and metallic lace.

Though there were few pieces in this exhibit I enjoyed it immensely. I have discovered a new designer that I must research further. His combinations of fabrics and trims were inspired and I am a particular fan of his bold use of colour.

Exhibition Report: Avedon Fashion 1944-2000

Currently my ship is in Dry Dock. This means they take the ship right out of the water and make improvements and repairs to it. My ship is about 6 years old now so this is a routine dry dock, not an emergency or anything!

Luckily for me, we are dry docked in Boston, one of my favourite places! I also discovered that the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has three exhibitions going on at the moment that I really wanted to see: Avedon Fashion 1944-2000, The fashion photography of Richard Avedon, Scaasi: American Couturier, select fashions by Arnold Scaasi and Embroideries of Colonial Boston: Samplers, a selection of Samplers from the 18th Century. I will post about each one individually, so lets begin with the fashion photography of Avedon.

Avedon began his photographic career in the army taking id photos but after World War two he was thrust into the work of fashion. He has photographed covers for Haper’s Bazaar and Vogue and was the first resident photographer for the New Yorker. His use of light and focus is astounding. Most of the work on display was tradition black and white, which Avedon used to his advantage emphasizing shapes and silhouettes on the models. His photos of Suzie Parker are always playful, showing real people, not just models.

He was challenged to show the original beauty of Paris while it was still in its post-war stages, which he did to remarkable effect. His photos in the Moulin Rouge, Cirque D’Hiver and on the street brought Paris back to life.

One of my favourite sets of photos in the exhibition was one of the most modern. In colour and using a live model and a skeleton, Avedon photographed haute couture against a wasteland backdrop. The pieces are lingering and emotional in an unspeakable way.

Most of all Avedon’s work is simple and clean. His shots are not always in focus, but that is part of their beauty, capturing the movement of the woman inside the fashion. His pieces bring out the inner beauty of his subjects to compliment themselves and what they wear.