~MARLEY FREEMAN . . POP-UP VINTAGE TEXTILE SHOP – Part I
MARLEY FREEMAN – ONE DAY ONLY !!
VINTAGE TEXTILE – POP-UP SHOP
MON OCT 5, 2015 / 4-8 PM
CLEOPATRA’S – 110 MESEROLE AVE, GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN
MARLEY FREEMAN at the ‘shop’ . . . !!
more info: on the artist & her textile collection
Marley’s brother, JORDAN FREEMAN.
they grew up in LA, in a family of vintage textile collectors, headed by their dad.
they have an archive of over 500 lbs of textiles – all kinds, included hand stitched items, vintage tatting & even some – quilts.
the family runs ‘Archive Editions’ – which produces new ‘reproduction’ textiles from the designs.
this is early, 1920s onward . . and most likely handmade even though it was hand ‘packaged’ for sale – prob later than it was made ??
maybe for sale . . in the 40s or 50s, or even later, 70s . . in a thrift or junk or vintage shop ?
Note $5 ea. !!
it’s a bit of a mystery, but always fun to see original packaging.
but, it’s beautiful.
up here in the North East, you can find this kind of tiny multi-pattern hand stitched ‘fanci-work’ work, tatting & done with a micro crochet hooks, among the old Scottish families, esp of Long Island, NY.
it was a handmade lace to attach to hand-made dresses / and borders of nightgowns.
this is very art deco, 1930s .
prob made in the 20s or at the latest 30s, very Egyptian – influenced.
this was the era when they were discovering Egyptian tombs, and opening them up.
it seems to made of a ‘bleached’ yarn, as opposed, to the more sepia-tinted hues of older raw, unprocessed linen . . crochet/tatting thread / aka ‘twist’ – dating at least, as far back as the American Revolution.
all vintage hand-stitching, including quilt repair, and vintage textile collecting in general, is a GREAT, BIG, MERRY FEAST – for any & all history buffs . . who love to un-ravel – a mystery !!
hand or needle skills, patterns & materials – will all eventually tell their own story, an unwinding of origin, and lifestyle, that extends well beyond . . ‘what you see – is what you get’.
just like in painting, or the graphic arts – art deco . . is a major influence & social marker.
before I get carried away, this is PETER COFFIN . . . just back from his thin black moveable profile / sculpture show with BILL BRADY – out in KANSAS CITY. he said he had a great time with Bill, who wouldn’t ?
BILL is the coolest !!
and, he also told me bit of Brooklyn history – !!
this storefront . . used to be ANDREW GUENTHER’S studio – before it was CLEOPATRA’S GALLERY !!
also just back . .
from 10 years in BERLIN, DELIA GONZALEZ.
well, actually she’s back almost 2 years, and she lives in the neighborhood, Greenpoint.
we spoke a bit about the tragic passing DANIEL REICH, and how vibrant and cutting edge, his gallery was . . where Delia used showed her work, early to mid . . 2000s.
I still remember her . . amazing tribal, magical . . tiny cowrie shell head !!
BRIDGET DONAHUE, one of the 4 curators of CLEOPATRA’S.
and to-night, the designated person with the . . small white sq – for credit cards !!
and, if you’ve been to any kind of pop-up, you know what I mean !!
this is another example of hand-made lace – made to adorn the hand-made clothing of the turn of the century, even into the 30s, 40s. you can see the ‘outline’ of a clothing shape, e.g. the cut-out for the neck – in the remnant.
it was prob an Edwardian or Victorian woman’s blouse.
from the coarser or more heavy-duty quality of the cloth, and the from the simpler stitching, but ‘magical’ pattern, it’s my guess, this piece is earlier than the piece detailed above.
but, there’s no point getting all gnarly, & lost in the history, it’s effect is prob even dynamic & bold, spiritual – even still.
esp to fans of ‘authentic’ hand-made retro Americana. hello Japan.
Marley brought a broad range of vintage textiles, the majority of which in fact – were not – women’s hand-stitched / handiwork.
this was a set of 6 different, commercially printed ‘cocktail’ or bar . . napkins – from the 50s, or 60s !!
quelle fun !! I’m so into vintage cartoons. 6 different images from $40 in mint condition, and so funny ?
and plus my kid’s name is THEO – the same as the artist.
bring on that . . . small digital white cube.
ca-ching.
this must date back to the time of . . MAD MEN, if not sooner.
when ‘stylish’ people could laugh about – bad behavior !!
an equal opportunity . . joker !!
from back when it was ok to make fun of both NYC, and the far east !!
if the average American suburban Joe Schmoe . . had his party-on / double life issues, so apparently – did the high flying harem juggling, Sultan . .
it was a big time for . . jokes, that’s for sure. an era – long gone.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH