From the Dust Jacket
March 16, 2010
Books written by or about Mary Meigs Atwater and Anni Albers were discussed in this column in January and February. Coincidentally, I recently ran across a book entitled String Felt Thread by Elissa Auther, which contained the following:
“In the history of American hand-weaving, no two practitioners were further apart in vision than Anni Albers and Mary Atwater. In 1940, Albers entered into a debate over the function and value of hand-weaving with Atwater in the pages of The Weaver. Their exchange provides an over-view of the competing visions and definitions of art and craft that formed the status of hand-weaving before the conclusion of WW II.
“Atwater undertook an extensive study of weaving of the American revolutionary period as well as folk weaving traditions of the 19th Century, the findings of which she published. Her research was instrumental in the survival of these historical and regional practices, but her practical how-to approach ran counter to Albers’ idea of weaving as an original art form.
“Albers regarded herself as an artist and was outspoken regarding the potential of hand-weaving to move beyond that of a leisure pursuit for utilitarian purposes. This approach is summed up by a statement she made in 1959: “Let threads be articulate, and find a form for themselves to no other end than their own orchestration, not to be sat on, walked on, only to be looked at……”
So, just what does this mean to us? I’d like to think it means the possibilities are endless; and we are free to choose our own path, whether traditional or contemporary, as we continue to learn about this time-honored craft.
Joan,
Thank you for your thoughtful information. I would love to find out more and will do so by requesting a book :)
Joan,
Your reviews, besides being enticing and interesting, are so educational for us. A wonderful presentation from one of our members could be a good old fashioned book report using one of the wonderful resources our growing library holds. It would be a dream audience for the presenter. Nothing like those past school days when it was a captive audience. We all would certainly benefit from the sharing of any of our library’s collection.
Thank you for taking the time to provide us with “From the Dust Jacket”!
Thanks for the kind words. We truly have a wonderful collection of books, and this seems to be one way of bringing them to the attention of our membership.
I like the idea of book reports. Perhaps they could include visual aids, i.e., something handwoven “in the style of” Atwater, Albers or whomever? Could be a very exciting project. Worth thinking about.
The addition of a visual aid is even better! This is why our guild is the success it is. We can work in harmony. What one thinks of, another takes seriously, adds to it, and then we are off and running, or maybe “off and weaving” is more like it!
Joan, please present this great idea at our next meeting.
OK, will do – a visual aid or two included!