Re-envisioning Japan: Meiji Fine Art Textiles

The Coffee House Club

Independent scholar John Vollmer will discuss his new publication, Re-envisioning Japan: Meiji Fine Art Textiles, a comprehensive examination of the exquisite large-scale designs and innovative artistry of fine art textiles (bijutsu senshoku) that generated a flurry of excitement in the West and Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912). These luxurious textiles were designed and created by Japanese textile producers with artists and artisans who sought to modernize traditional imagery and techniques and explore new modes of artistic expression in silk for and expanding international market.

John E. Vollmer is president of Vollmer Cultural Consultants Inc. specializing in strategic planning and practical program development for not-for-profit public and private sector clients in the fields of museum education, arts and culture in the United States, Canada and Asia. The company is noted for its specialized work with collections of textiles and decorative arts and for developing insightful and accessible museum exhibitions ranging from Chinese textiles to baseball, the fashion designs of Mariano Fortuny to Inuit footwear. Mr. Vollmer is also a noted author and editor.