Robert Morris
sculptures in felt (1969, 1970)
The Industrial Revolution has been a catalyst for many changes in modern society. With the invention of the power loom in 1785, cloth was the first material to be industrialized on a massive scale. (Reuter) In 1833 the sewing machine was invented. Women’s roles and the status of cloth were irrevocably changed from this period on. Women’s roles in the home transitioned to that of factory assembly lines. Industrialization made the commodity of cloth readily available to the masses at an affordable price thus altering the way we value it forever. As a reaction to the low and homogeneous quality of mass produced fabric and goods, the Arts and Crafts movement was founded in 1888 in England. Their goal was to reform and raise the level of design and craftsmanship, and to promote the handmade. However, the industrial revolution had already taken over; time was short and affordability more important. The general public no longer wanted to pay for hand-made objects when they could choose from an array of affordable mass-produced goods. Textiles became a material of utility and function. However, the Arts and Crafts movement was instrumental in bringing craft into the conversation of Fine Art.
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