Traditions of Folk Textiles in the Works of Lithuanian Artists of the 20th - early 21st Centuries
Three stages can be distinguished in the development of artistic textiles in Lithuania. The first stage is the period from 1920 to 1945 demonstrating the development of folk textiles as a craft. The second stage was from 1945 to 1990. This is the Soviet period which can be divided into two parts: 1945-1970 and 1970-1991. And the last period, from 1991 to the present, shows a new stage in the development of artistic textiles as an important component of contemporary art. Since the early 20th century folk textiles have been a source of inspiration in the work of professional Lithuanian artists. In the first half of the 20th century, the techniques of execution and materials of artwork production remain traditional. The interpretation of motifs, their shape and placement on the plane of textile work are the only things that are changing. In the 1970s and 1980s, the main characteristics of professional art textiles were becoming firmly established in Lithuania, namely mastery of the craft and finding the author’s artistic style. During the last decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century, textile artists in Lithuania continue searching for their original techniques and a unique style, combining traditional and non-traditional materials in their works and changing the formats of works and ways of presenting them in the exhibition space. The traditions of folk textiles are interpreted in a distinctive way in artworks for exhibitions and contemporary art projects.