Review

Press reviews & endorsements

Portfolio Collection
“Since 2000, Telos, the British publishing venture dedicated to documenting contemporary fiber art, has produced, among other series, some well-photographed, elegantly designed monographs on prominent textile artists around the world. They are an invaluable resource, conveying the remarkable variety of the textile medium - fiber and fabric of every sort, a range of techniques and of scale from the miniature to the monumental .The authors are professors, critics, curators and arts administrators. This is a sample:... “
American Craft, August/September 2004

“This series [the Portfolio Collection] is a 'must have' for the serious scholar or curator.“
Fiber Art News, Friends of Fiber Art International, January 2005


“The pictures are stunning. If this book is anything to go by, Japanese textile artists seem to have a direct line to the sublime. This book is a must for any serious textile artist working in today (Art Textiles of the World: Japan vol 2) “
Christine Elliott Grey, Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, June 2003


“Matthew Koumis at Telos Art Publishing continues to contribute mightily to the field of contemporary textiles. His focus is worldwide and his audacious goal is "…to see fiber art given due recognition in the art firmament." In addition to Telos' Art Textiles of the World books, Koumis also publishes a handsome series of monographs called the Portfolio Collection. To date the artists come from the United Kingdom, Asia, the United States, Europe and Australia, but we can assume that location is less an issue in Koumis's selection process than a unique artistic vision. The Portfolio collection has a consistent format: squarish, soft-cover, 50 pages, a design appropriate to each artist's work, excellent photographic images beautifully reproduced, "guest" essay, artist statement and biographical information. The essays are scholarly but not dense and very helpful in understanding a body of work. In the forward to Susan Lordi Marker's Portfolio, artist and writer, Ilze Aviks, makes a comment that seems apt for much of the work in the series: "By virtue of the joyous, even devotional process, the subject matter here also becomes cloth, the making of the cloth, and communal memory. What an appropriate approach to convey the ritual nature of creating and a belief in the potency of objects." The objects made by artists in the series are indeed potent. Each volume is worth one's time for study and reflections. Taken together, they are a formidable reference resource. The most recent in the series focus on American artists Piper Shepard, Cynthia Schira and Susan Lordi Marker; Annet Couwenberg from the Netherlands and Agano Machiko from Japan. Upcoming portfolios will show the work of Japanese artist, Kumai Kyoko, Susie Brandt and Darrel Morris from the United States, as well as Pauline Burbridge from England. Burbridge's will be Volume 34 in this compelling series. Like many artist-run businesses, Telos seems to be a shoestring operation. Koumis, a part-time concert pianist, describes himself as "….a guy with a Mac who has become addicted to good fiber, trying to create a modest something in…a book-publishing void." He relies on freely given referrals and expertise from artist/educators in different countries for the Art Textiles of the World series, and also when possible, enlisting the individual artists as collaborators in the Portfolio Collection. If this is what's needed to keep his venture afloat, so be it. We all benefit from the success of Telos Publishing and the major artists it recognizes and promotes.“
Reviewed by Barbara Lee Smith, Surface Design Journal, 2004


“One thing is for sure: Matthew Koumis has again produced a beautiful and enticing book on textile art. (Art Textiles of the World: The Netherlands Edited by Dery Timmer)“
Tilleke Schwarz writing in Embroidery, July 2002


“This is a thoroughly thought-provoking collection of essays  inviting exploration across many borders, textile and otherwise.
(Reinventing Textiles volume 2: Gender & Identity)“
Olga Norris writing in Embroidery, July 2002


“With this first rate series, Telos Art Publishing is doing an invaluable service for textile artists and aficionados around the world. The large colour illustrations allow readers to experience the calibre of the textiles, and having the artists discuss their creative processes and influences adds an appealing personal dimension to these beautiful books...”
Nancy Orban, Outgoing Editor, FIBERARTS


“Reviewers tread a narrow path between critical analysis and unsolicited testimonial, but in the case of Telos Art Publishing we have no qualms whatsoever in stepping firmly into the latter category and offering our admiration for these British publishers who have chosen to specialise in books about contemporary textile art and artists. "Two staff committed to the very best in art textiles, worldwide," is how Matthew Koumis and his partner describe their Hapmshire-based publishing venture...we've had the pleasure of reading Anne Wilson (Portfolio Collection vol 6) and Caroline Broadhead (vol 3) are beautifully designed, lavishly illustrated, and like the Reinventing Textiles series, valuable additions to the literature...“
Artichoke, Vancouver, 2002 (Vol 13: 4)


“Stunning...these volumes treating serious textile art as serious art are to be welcomed enthusiastically.“
Barbara Lee Smith, Surface Design Journal


“The Art Textiles of the World Series are a beautiful opportunity, and a desparate plea, to open your eyes to the world around you. It is easy, too easy, to confine yourself to the bubble of work being done in your homw country...These books are one of the few opportunities we have to travel the world in search of fine textile work. Upcoming books will take you to Holland, Scandinavia ...I highly recommend them.”
Lauren Camp, fiber artist, Studio Art Quilt Associates newsletter


“I’m so glad book sales are going well. That is so very encouraging for everyone. You and Telos do terrific work, and the efforts you are making will have a great impact on the professionalism of the field. Thank you so much.”
Joan Livingstone, Professor and Chair, Dept of Fiber and Material Studies, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.


“I wanted to congratulate you on the Portfolio Collection. My friend Anne Wilson gave me a copy of the one on her work recently and I am very impressed with the quality.
I feel you are doing a great service for the field.... I want to thank you for the wonderful exposure I received through being in Art Textiles of the World: USA”.
Jane Lackey, Head of Fiber, Cranbrook Academy of Art, USA


“You have accomplished an important milestone in contemporary textiles, providing a link in thinking that we have never had before.”
Margo Mensing, writer and lecturer, Skidmore College, New York


“ My inclusion in Art Textiles of the World: USA led to an invitation to show at Branstein/Quay Gallery in San Fransisco curated by Myra Goodall Block. The gallery not only sold one of my pieces (to Eleanor Coppola, wife of Francis Ford Coppola!) but also got me a commission for another piece. Needless to say Im thrilled! The book continues to be well received by everyone who sees it.”
Linda Hutchins, artist, Portland, Oregon

“THE BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! I am an enthusiastic supporter of the contribution you are making to the field of art textiles. If there is no recorded history, the work is quickly forgotten...”
Jane Sauer, artist, Santa Fe

“Wonderful books...what a treasure. It seems you are the sole innovator - you have taken on wonderful work. I assume you are running Telos on love and a shoestring because that seems to be how all great things come about”.
Laurel Reuter, co-author of ‘Whole Cloth’ with Mildred Constantine


“Congratulations on your terrific work on this and all of your textile projects! Keep up the wonderful work...”
Barbara Layne, artist and lecturer, Concordia University, Quebec


“As a textile artist I greatly admire the ‘Art Textiles of the World’ series and feel these books fill a huge gap in quality documentation of textile art. Keep up the good work!”
Joanna Kinnersly-Taylor, artist, lecturer and author, Glasgow


“The publishing venture is going from strength to strength and I am delighted to be associated with it.”
Dr Jennifer Harris, Editor: 5000 Years of Embroidery.
Curator (Textiles), Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, England


“I got the wonderful book! WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL!”
Keiko Kawashima, Director, Kyoto International Contemporary Textile Art Centre; Director, Gallery Gallery, Kyoto, Japan.


“Thank you for my copy of Chika Ohgi Portfolio - it is beautiful, congratulations! The titles you are launching have a hugely appreciative audience.”
Lesley Millar, Curator, Textural Space


“Superb layout, wonderful artists as always. If you’ve been delaying investing in this fine series - time to start collecting. What Telos is doing for the controversial area of Art Textiles is creating a firm record of its validity and potency in current times.”
Janet De Boer, Editor, Textile Fibre Forum


“A thrilling addition to the beautifully crafted Art Textiles of the World series...an inspiring and heartening and essential item for all textile bibliophiles”.
Christine Elliott Grey, Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers


“A beautifully produced volume like all Telos Art textile publications. Handling the heavy, satiny-smooth pages offers a sensuous pleasure which serves to enhance the rich, colourful feast contained within...The photography is sumptuous: the colours seem accurate and the detail sufficiently fine for it to be possible to discern the subtle textural qualities as well as the combinations of colours in the mix of fibres she employs. The text meanwhile offers insights into the evolution of the iconography, or particular interest when an artist's work veers so close to the abstract. More please”. (re Portfolio Collection Jilly Edwards)
Christine Elliott Grey, Journal for Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

“A visual feast of excellent quality full colour illustrations... artistically highly informative and very inspirational.”
Chris Berry, author, World of Embroidery


“I love all books published by Telos”.
Hiroyuki Shindo, artist and lecturer, Kyoto

“It would be your best book yet if the others weren’t so good!”
Maggie Grey, Editor, World of Embroidery


“You are providing beauty, information and encouragement to a wide, eager and most appreciative audience: a vital service.”
Olga Norris, artist, England


“What a great mission statement! My sentiments exactly and I’m sure others”.
Joan Schulze, artist and author.

“As ever I can only congratulate you on the quality of your latest book”.
Michael Spender, Director, Embroiderers’ Guild, London


“How can you not add it to your library if you are a textile artist,
collector or connoisseur?”
Virginia Kaiser, Craft Arts International


“I have followed your growing stable with delight from your first beginnings.
It is wonderful to see you going from strength to strength.”
Jan Wilson, artist, writer, lecturer, New Zealand


“Hi Matthew - had some good news recently. Sold the small Ellipse tapestry (in book) and another siliar to a New York collector from the exhibition in New Jersey. Had people fighting over them! so have been commissioned to do two more! Yippee! ANd almost sold Purple Border (in the book) through Art in Partnership. Let’s hope the coming year continues this well.”
Jo Barker, artist , Art Textiles of the World: GB vol 1