Stoplap van katoen op linnen c. 1910 - 1920

Editor: This mixed-media textile piece, "Stoplap van katoen op linnen," created circa 1910-1920 by M.A. Smid-Alberts, has an interesting grid structure. What kind of imagery or symbols do you see in this piece? Curator: The grid itself is powerful. Think about what it represents. Control? Order? A foundation upon which something else is built? Each square contains subtly different imagery; faint impressions like ghosts, each imbued with potential meaning. How do these 'ghosts' speak to you? Editor: Well, some of them seem floral, others almost heraldic, with a single zig-zag stitch interrupting the flow of symbols. Curator: Exactly. The floral motifs could represent growth, beauty, perhaps even the feminine, rooted within domestic crafts, whereas that one lonely emblem evokes legacy and heraldry; a claim on a space. Notice the stitches between the lines too. In which cultural memory do squares operate for you? Perhaps quilts and memories from your grandmother’s house? Editor: Yes! I never would have thought of it like that. It seems very personal when thinking of memories in textiles like quilts. Almost like holding all memories together through little individual stories of life within those textiles. Curator: Textiles are holders of narratives, aren't they? And the materials themselves—cotton and linen—speak of utility, but elevated through careful arrangement and intent. Think of it as domestic architecture; a tiny cosmos of intention and making do! Editor: So, beyond the visual appeal, this stoplap holds layers of cultural and personal symbolism? Curator: Absolutely. It transforms the mundane into the meaningful. Next time, think of tapestries to evoke memories through stories with cloth. A constant reminder of cultural and historical value in objects often overlooked!