Frieze Masters 2018

In comparison to other medium such as ceramic, paintings and architectures, the textile arts in South America is widely regarded as the key to unlocking the ancient culture of the Andes. A highly sophisticated system of textiles production that encompasses techniques such as such as interlocking tapestry; discontinuous weft, painted, feathers, tie-dye and wrapped weaving have emerged in civilisations such as Paracas, Nazca, Wari, and Chancay. From an aesthetic point of view, the Pre-Columbian arts has also mastered in abstract elements such as colour blocks and geometries, and figurative renderings such as the feline, jaguar, ocucaje and the Lanzon figure. The former student of Anni Albers has once commented: “ The richness of the pre-Incaic textile language is the most complex of any textile culture in history.”