Textiles and modern abstraction close Sunday at the National Gallery of Art

Ann Hamilton (b. 1956), (side by side.coats), 2018/2023.  The label says Ms. Hamilton worked on her art in northern Portugal, sourcing fleeces from a local farmer and using coats from secondhand shops to show "enduring interdependencies: between human and animal, manufactured and organic, nurture and sacrifice." Loaned by the artist/By Patricia Leslie

The National Gallery of Art hosts a large show, Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction, in eight rooms to display some 160 works by 50 artists from around the globe. Their art begins with the first World War and continues to present day.

The exhibition brings to mind the question: Why have textiles and related arts taken a back seat to oil, sculpture, prints and drawings and other fine arts?*

The fact that textiles and woven arts are usually associated with women likely plays a role. 

Sophie Taeuber-Arp, 1889-1943, Cushion Panel (detail), 1916 (facsimile 2021) cross-stitch embroidery. Loaned by the Museum of Design, Zurich. Silhouettes of viewers are reflected in the protective glass/By Patricia Leslie

Jeffrey Gibson (b. 1972), from left, The Past as Future Artifact (Mask 2), 2020, The Anthropophagic Effect, Helmet No. 2, 2019, and The Anthropophagic Effect, Helmet No. 1, 2019.  Materials used included birch bark, pine resin, porcupine quills, brass bells, metal jingles, turquoise, and beeswax. Loaned by the artist/By Patricia Leslie

These artists produce their works for the same reasons as other artists: to effect political and social change, to capitalize on change, to build momentum for matters of the time, to promote more awareness of cultural and historical change, to enjoy beauty, to document scenes from current events, to express themselves.

Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979), Electric Prisms (detail), 1913, Davis Museum at Wellesley College/By Patricia Leslie

Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979), Groupe de femmes, 1923-1924, watercolor, colored inks and graphite on paper glued on cardboard, Centre Pompidou, Paris/By Patricia Leslie

In a textiles gallery at the National Galley of Art, Washington, D.C./By Patricia Leslie

Eden Gallery with offices around the world may have answers to why these arts have not enjoyed the same prestige and importance as other "fine arts."

On its website, Eden asks:

What exactly is fine art, and how has its definition changed over the centuries?

Art, in its broadest sense, embodies the act of crafting something unique that tantalizes our visual or auditory senses. Fine art, often labeled as "high art," stands as the pinnacle of artistic expression, emphasizing aesthetics over functionality. This inherent aesthetic quality sets fine art apart from "low arts" which are crafted with a more utilitarian purpose in mind.

Yet, as the art world continues to evolve, the once-clear boundaries that defined what is "high" or "low" art blur. This prompts the question: should any art form be considered superior to another in today's democratized art landscape?

Sonia Delaunay, 1885-1979, from left, Summer Dress, c. 1926, printed silk and Dress, c. 1926, printed and pleated silk. Private collection/By Patricia Leslie

The artists explain their various techniques of weaving, knitting, netting, knotting, and felting** and the reasons why they choose the mediums they do.  

Here I've included artworks which I found of particular interest, and without paying attention to the artists' names as I photograhed them, I was struck later as I write this, that of the few I chose for this blog post, three are by Sonia Delaunay 1885-1979.

Olga de Amaral (b. 1932), Cintas Entrelazadas, c. 1969, wool and cotton. Loaned by the artist/By Patricia Leslie

Marilou Schultz (b. 1954), Replica of a Chip (detail), 1994, wool. The label says the Intel Corporation commissioned Ms. Schultz, a Native American weaver, "to make a blanket featuring their Pentium microprocessor," using the traditional techniques that she learned as a child growing up on the reservation. The company proposed "affinities between Native American aesthetics and advanced technologies" as part of its marketing campaign. Loaned by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society/By  Patricia Leslie

Ellen Lesperance (b. 1971), Cardigan Worn by One Woman of the Boeing Five,  Tried for Entering the Boeing Nuclear Missile Plant on September 27th, 1983, Sentenced to Fifteen Days in the King County Jail for Defending Life on Earth, 2011. Loaned by Brooklyn Museum/By Patricia Leslie

Liz Collins (b. 1968) and Gary Graham (b.1969) (GRIZ), Pride Dress from the Seven Deadly Sins series, 2003. Loaned by Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design/By Patricia Leslie

Liz Collins (b. 1968) and Gary Graham (b.1969) (GRIZ), Pride Dress from the Seven Deadly Sins series, 2003. Loaned by Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design/By Patricia Leslie

A hardback catalog, Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abraction of almost 300 pages with 200 colored illustrations is available in the shops, online at shop.nga.gov, and by phone, 800-697-9350 for $32.50. Accompanying products are available.

The exhibition comes to NGA after its showing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and, after its stay in Washington, will travel to the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (November 8, 2024–March 2, 2025) and then, the Museum of Modern Art, New York (April 20–September 13, 2025).

Lynne Cooke, senior curator in the department of special projects in modern art, National Gallery of Art, curated the exhibition.

*After you've seen the show, maybe you can answer the question.

**sculpting and making figures and shapes from wool 

Hannah Höch is one of the artists included in this show and for more on her, go here where she's included in a book on Da Da.

What: Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction

When: Through July 28, 2024. The National Gallery hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

Where: East Building Concourse and Ground Floor, National Gallery of Art, 6th and Constitution, Washington

How much: Admission is always free at the National Gallery of Art.

Metro stations for the National Gallery of Art:
Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, Navy Memorial-Archives, or L'Enfant Plaza

For more information: (202) 737-4215

Accessibility information: (202) 842-6905


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