Soviet Textiles

"Soviet Textiles" is a fascinating examination of a unique experiment in Communist Russia. Between 1927 and 1933 the making of textiles took up the challenge of propagandizing through printed fabrics. A group of young designers in the newly emerged Communist state began to create thematic textile designs. They depicted tractors, smokestacks and other symbols of collective modernity for clothing and household use. These images were thought to be emblematic of the modern industrialized nation whose success depended on the common will of its citizens. In the practice of utilitarianism textile design seemed to be a natural means of creating the ideal citizen. Ultimately the experiment failed as the populace clung to their traditional floral motifs. However a series of innovative and bold designs emerged from the effort. "Soviet Textiles: Designing the Modern Utopia" presents some forty of these fabrics held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and discusses the political and artistic contexts that gave rise to them.