Full Description
The imagined worlds of the cinematic mise-en-scène are rich with textiles: fabrics drape over sets, serve as props, and develop mood and character as dress and décor. A much-needed examination of the cultural and emotional impact of textiles as mediated through cinematic technology, Textiles on Film broadens our understanding of the dynamic relationship between fabric and film.
Drawing on scholarship across multiple disciplines and exploring a wide range of films—from lesser-known avant-garde films to big-budget Hollywood productions—this book will inspire scholars and students of film, fashion, and textiles. Close readings of on-screen textiles redirect meaning to that which is often overlooked, including depictions of gender expression, behind-the-scenes labor, and architectural and bodily ornamentation. Attentive to the social nuances of fabrics from polyester to velvet, and to the physical qualities of the textiles themselves, Becky Peterson unearths new possibilities for reading media and textile cultures.
Contents
List of Figures
Preface "Poetry from the Future"
Acknowledgements
Introduction Converging Technologies: Fabric and Film
1. Modern Women Wear Satin: Fabric, Femininity, and Art Deco Hollywood
2. "That Polyester Look": Cinematic/Synthetic/Aesthetic
3. Screen Prints: Striping and Cinematic Language
4. Watching is Touching: On-Screen Transgression
5. Moving Pictures: Magic, Suspense, and Textiles in Motion
Conclusion Digital Experimentation and the Legacy of the Handmade
Bibliography
Filmography
Index
