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How not to design a tapestry?

1st August 2024

Written by Matty Smith/Giillian Bull

The Paris 2024 Olympics are up and running giving us daily opportunities to marvel at the skill and strength of world-class athletes.

Alongside the diverse sporting events are a myriad of other activities including the Cultural Olympiad. One of the early elements of the Cultural Olympiad, unveiled in March 2024, is the Olympic Tapestry, a triptych tapestry, designed by Marjane Satrapi, and woven by weavers at the esteemed Mobilier National. The tapestry is currently displayed at the Hôtel de la Marine. It is 9 metres long and 3.3 metres high and took weavers at the Manufacture des Gobelins three years to complete.

Gillian Bull read an online article about it and found herself questioning the quality of the design, the extent to which the design utilised the skills of the weavers who created it and indeed the value of the tapestry itself. She writes:

"I’ve always thought that the first question a tapestry weaver should ask before commencing a new work is, "Why am I doing this as a tapestry (i.e. not a painting, print or poster)"?

Looking at this triptych, made at Manufacture de Gobelins, I suspect that Jean Lurçat must be spinning in his grave. Huge areas of garish monochrome - the weavers must have been bored to tears, not to mention feeling overlooked and de-skilled. And to think that the great series 'Lady with the Unicorn', can be viewed just across town, not to mention other wonderful tapestries ancient and modern displayed elsewhere in Paris.

I’ve never been all that keen on Lurçat’s designs, though his “ethic” of a restricted colour palette, the revival of the weavers’ input, etc. was admirable. But this is just nasty.

(I wonder where it’s going to end up.)"

Do you agree with Gillian? Does this tapestry design demonstrate the unique qualities of handwoven tapestry art? Is it a valid vehicle for the skills of the weavers who created it? Post your comments.

Comments

Camilyn Leone, 3rd Sep 2024
I went to Gobelins and had a chance to see the design process for this tapestry. I think it’s a wonderful design, especially given the time constraints. How do you design 30 ft. Of tapestry in just 3 years? Keep it simple. However « keeping it simple » is deceptively difficult. This tapestry has lots of edges. It has lots of vast fields of color, which look simple but are not. The color of the yarn must be consistent to keep the graphic effect. Also, I suggest that weaving a vast field of color in plain weave is technically challenging. Plil Sanderson at West Dean Tapestry Studio has commented on this technique in the studio’s recent Eva Rothschild commission, concerning plain weave, he says, « there’s no where to hide, it’s got to be technically perfect to work. » I thinks that’s the case here.

Lesley Eales, 1st Sep 2024
I’m a novice when it comes to tapestry weaving but even I can see the problems with this. I can see the designer was trying to capture the sense of the ancient and modern - javelin, running, breakdancing and skate board. However it does not scream Paris and the limited palette does not reflect the numerous challenges and demands on the participants or the hosts. If I didn’t know is was a tapestry I would have thought it was printed. The wonderful nuances of weaving, the textures and fluidity of design are all relevant but sadly missing. No doubt the work itself is excellent but I can imagine it did not fire the enthusiasm of those who have woven it.

Sally Reckert, 31st Aug 2024
I suspect that the weavers were only too delighted that their manufacture received the commission and they were regularly paid to weave. It would have been cheaper and quicker to send the commission to China or use a jacquard machine. The artist-weaver might see the design as a waste of the artisans skills but how many artist-weavers earn a regular year on year wage from their designs? Personally I think the works fun but then I’m not an artist-weaver or skilled artisan simply an amateur hobbiest and therein lies another discussion.

Gobelin mate, 31st Aug 2024
Thank you for this article ! I had a good insight of the "behind the scenes" behind this project as I worked at the Mobilier National at the time it was chosen and woven (but not at the end actually). Everyone was enthusiastic at first because Marjane Satrapi was chosen and she makes beautiful paintings and she's really loved in France. But then workers were a bit dispointed by the design, at least the one I talked to about it. Shared feelings with you all ! Marjane Satrapi had to work with the Olympic logo's color. But still, it seems that this design is not good enough or made for a tapestry. What a waste of time and money... Weavers were not enthusiasts, especially because it leaves a poor choice in interpretation (and it hurts the eyes, you have to admit). The weavers in Gobelins have all freedom to choose from colors to technics (nothing compares to the cartoon numbered !) which is very specific and makes it really special to work there. Two similar designs will never be woven likewise depending of the artistic sensitivity of the weaver. Anyway this one is really well woven and must be impressive to see for real (I haven't). I hope what I shared gave you more informations :)

Jane Kirby, 14th Aug 2024
First a request - if anyone has seen this tapestry in the flesh it would be great to have an article about it for the next edition of Tapestry Weaver. tweditor@thebritishtapestrygroup.co.uk A few years ago, after I'd see Die Faden der Moderne exhibition in Munich I read a lot about Jean Lurcat. There's no doubt he did a lot to promote tapestry, but I came to the conclusion that he also did a great deal to promote himself! Certainly the various books I read suggested that he was very controlling when it came to the weaving of his designs, allowing the weavers little artistic input, so I suspect it was business as usual for the weavers of the Gobelins and Beauvais workshops. I visited the Gobelins in April - the tapestry wasn't on display although there was some information about it and some samples to see. I wrote then on the FB page about how disappointing the tour was - how hard it was to see anything or follow the guide, even for native French speakers. So, I'm pleased that the French state continues to support this skill, but puzzled that they aren't more effective at presenting it to the general public.

Lee Jenner, 6th Aug 2024
Hmmm, definitely thought provoking. I wonder, if you’re a studio weaver, and you can make money weaving other people’s designs, maybe a simple design that leaves more brain power for your own work, done in your spare time, is a good thing. I’ve no idea which I’d prefer but I do love a large expanse of one colour in a tapestry (large in my experience being nowhere close to this, to be fair) and in person the textile quality would be quite different than a painting or print which might be enough to make the effort worthwhile. Just playing devils advocate. :)

Angela, 4th Aug 2024
Sadly this happens so often in other disciplines, when famous people do the initial design and expect the 'team's working in their studio to do the work and they receive all the adulation which to me is quite shocking. Those viewing the work are often totally oblivious the work has been created by amazing, talented people who get no acknowledgement for their time and input. I am not going to name names but there are textile artists, sculptures, painters, who all sadly use other people's skills.

Margaret Jones, 3rd Aug 2024
I was lucky enough to go to the Manufacture des Gobelins last year. The weavers have no input into the design, they really do appear to do a painting by numbers on the tapestries, the same happens at Beauvais, just outside Paris. This design does look like it would have best been screenprinted or some thing like that. It is a shame because they were weaving other tapestries for the Olympics at the Gobelins but I haven't seen images of any of them and they were much nicer. Regrettably we were not allowed to take photo's. It is a shame someone chose this design, the Aubusson series of Olympic tapestries 'For a Certain Ideal' were much better and I suspect are rolled up in a museum somewhere, they could have got those out, maybe not instead of this tapestry but as well as, after all you can never have too many tapestries can you?

Paula, 2nd Aug 2024
Well!! This tapestry has certainly been designed to be seen from a distance and in that it is no doubt successful. But I agree, as to other aspects of design, with previous comments.

Jean Q, 2nd Aug 2024
I hadn't seen any references to this tapestry, but it does promote an interesting discussion - why indeed? To me, it does have echoes of Matisse but the (neon) colours are a step too far. And, pity the poor weaver: I always feel sorry for weavers who have to reproduce someone else's work (without being able to interpret it). It 'reduces' weaving from an art form to a craft skill, which is not of course to denegrate craft skills . . . which is another long-running debate . . . This weaving for the Olympic Games also fits into the current heated discussion, by the French, after the opening ceremony, of whether or not it might be an appropriate representation of French cultural heritage, compared to Gobelins: anyway, seemingly an attempt to integrate into 21st century culture! Lots to talk about.

Cate M, 1st Aug 2024
I do agree. Why on earth - the design is not appealing to me in any format. Why not design digitally in a day or so and print on billboards? What an enormous waste of weaver’s time. The only good aspect may be that it supports Gobelins. I wonder what interesting woven tapestry community related projects could have been done with 3 years of time & money.

Matty Smith, 1st Aug 2024
Many thanks for sharing both the information about this new tapestry as well as your thinking about it. I am really interested in your perspective on it, Gillian, and certainly share your sense of exasperation over the motivation to weave such a design. I wonder what the process was whereby it was selected - were the weavers involved, for example?