Bauhaus master Anni Albers’ groundbreaking collection on view at the Blanton Museum
‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper’ at the Blanton Museum of Art in Ausin, Texas, highlights her shift from weaving to printmaking through works from the last 40 years of her career
Anni Albers, heralded as the most influential textile artist of the 20th century, is being celebrated in a comprehensive exhibit at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas. ‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper' (until 30 June 2024), which marks a significant exploration of Albers' career, showcases her pivotal shift from weaving to printmaking. Curated by Fritz Horstman, education director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the exhibit is comprised of more than 100 items, ranging from wall hangings and drawings to woven rugs and posthumous commercial collaborations, offering a rich overview of both her talent and continued commitment to innovation.
Anni Albers at the Blanton Museum, Austin, Texas
Albers' work, characterized by a seamless blend of artistic risk-taking and pragmatic application, is a testament to her belief in the symbiosis of functionality, form, and artistry - a principle deeply rooted in the Bauhaus tradition. The Blanton exhibit is among the first US showcases of her work since its preview at the New Britain Museum of American Art in 2020, providing a rare opportunity to appreciate the breadth of her multi-decade career.
Blanton curator Claire Howard and Horstman are particularly looking forward to the community's feedback. ‘Our collection of American modern art is really strong, and it’s exciting for us to showcase modernism at large with such a fascinating figure,’ she says. ‘Textiles and contemporary art are receiving a lot of attention right now.’ For many, Albers is a touchstone, an important frontrunner in both the weaving and printmaking communities, as well as a trailblazer whose influence effortlessly transcends the boundaries of her medium.
The exhibition layout is thoughtfully designed to guide visitors through her creative process, emphasising narrative, sight lines, and chronology. Her first works, captured from painstaking combinations of patterns ‘combine to create something more than the sum of their parts’, Horstman comments. Albers' fascination with motifs, particularly the repeated use of triangular patterns from the 1950s through the 1980s, is a focal point of the exhibition and visitors can trace the evolution across different media and eras.
By age 70, Albers ventured into printmaking, finding new ways to express the geometric and sinuous patterns that captivated her. Her travels to ancient Mexican temples played a significant role in this phase, imbuing her work with motifs that bridged her weaving past and printmaking future. Among the standout pieces are her eight-harness Structo Artcraft loom, first purchased in 1950, as well as the ‘Orchestra’ tapestries, commissioned by architect Philip Johnson in 1983 for AT&T's headquarters. These works, resonant with her late 1970s designs, underscore Albers' adaptability and lasting influence across different artistic contexts.
‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper’ is more than an exhibition; it's a profound tribute to her spirit. Through every piece displayed, Albers' legacy invites us to decipher the intricacies of her craft, celebrating her unparalleled contribution to the art and design world as we know it today.
‘Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper’ at the Blanton Museum until 30 June 2024
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Blanton Museum of Art
200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Austin, TX 78712
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UK
As A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
By Jack Moss Published
-
Eurovision unveils its 2024 stage, designed by Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour creatives
This year's stage design aims to bring the audience into the performance more than ever before.
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Ikea meets Japan in this new pattern-filled collection
New Ikea Sötrönn collection by Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi brings Japan and Scandinavia together in a pattern-filled, joyful range for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Taxi cabs and pizza boxes: New York icons are reimagined by Paa Joe at Superhouse Gallery
New York’s beloved tokens, from the Statue of Liberty to the classic yellow taxi cab, are reimagined by Paa Joe for Superhouse's inaugural show in New York, ‘Celestial City’
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
The Future Perfect group show in LA pays homage to JB Blunk’s sculptures
The Future Perfect celebrates late sculptor JB Blunk’s process and aesthetic with the group exhibition ‘Inner Space’ (until 1 May 2024)
By Julie Baumgardner Published
-
Gallery Fumi makes LA debut with works from Max Lamb, Jeremy Anderson and more
Fumi LA is the London design gallery’s takeover of Sized Studio, marking its first major US show (until 9 March 2024)
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Bay Area exhibition spotlights San Francisco furniture design community
Bay Area furniture design is the subject of ‘Works in Progress’, an exhibition on view at the American Industrial Center in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district until 23 January 2024
By Shonquis Moreno Published
-
The Malin Wedgewood Houston offers a rich, earthy co-working environment
The Malin Wedgewood Houston co-working space opens in Nashville, Tennessee and becomes the fourth and largest location in a thriving portfolio
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Discover Super Bowl star-turned-designer Michael Bennett’s furniture
Working under Studio Kër, Michael Bennett imbues his sculptural furniture with poignant references to Black history and African diasporic design – now on view at Chicago’s Rebuild Foundation until 11 February 2024
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
‘100 Hooks’ at JB Blunk Estate: a design exhibition to get hung up on
‘100 Hooks’ is an exhibition by the JB Blunk Estate (until 11 February 2024), presenting a hundred pieces by designers and artists that represent the late creator’s spirit
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Frank Traynor makes everyday objects extraordinary
Frank Traynor’s ‘A Can Opener of Myself’ – a ‘maximalist, minimalist contradiction’ of adorned objects – is at The Future Perfect, New York (until 31 December 2023)
By Pei-Ru Keh Published