HISTORY OF MAN-MADE MATERIALS IN DESIGN
The Division of Graduate Studies of the Fashion Institute of Technology and Wilsonart International will present a lecture "Man-Made Natural." Led by Grace Jeffers, adjunct instructor in the division's Museum Studies: Applied Arts program, the discussion will explore the history of "simulation"-man-made materials that imitate natural materials-from ancient Egypt to the present day. Jeffers will introduce the concept of "what is fake" and "what is real" in the world of material culture. She will also discuss the Modernist definition of "pure" or "natural materials," many of which were originally developed as man-made alternatives to natural products. Today, for example, glass is thought to be a natural material, but in reality wads developed over 5,000 years ago as a substitute for stone. Another example is celadon, a pale green cracked glaze that is esteemed as a beautiful, natural material in its own right. Celadon, however was developed by the Chinese to imitate the subtle color and webbing characteristic of jade, a highly prized material found in nature. Grace Jeffers is an authority on the use of plastic laminates in design, has been instrumental in forming the Ralph and Sunny Wilson House Museum in Temple, Texas. This circa 1959 house is one of the earliest examples of an installation made almost entirely of plastic, and the only historic house museum to address 20th-century vernacular life. The feature will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 1998 at 6:00 p.m.

For more information, contact the Division of Graduate Studies, Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, New York, NY 10001-5992, 212-217-5714.