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 at Blanton Museum of Art](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3S9dmDTBJFsLBwyfbqjCuQ-415-80.jpg)
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.
Anni Albers, Triangulated Intaglio IV, 1976, single-color copper plate etching on paper, 13 x 11 7/8 in., The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, 1994.11.39.AP2 (photo: © 2023 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York)
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, Textile sample, n.d., cotton, 7 1/2 x 6 1/4 in., The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, 1994.15.18 (photo: © 2023 The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York)
‘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 + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Blanton Museum of Art
200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Austin, TX 78712
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Studio Shamshiri and Abask unite on the softest interior décor collection
LA-based Studio Shamshiri joins forces with Abask on a new collaboration of interior objects including pillows, throws, and eyemasks
By Tianna Williams Published
-
The best American furniture design finds a dream home
Celebrating the best American furniture design, our dream house was created by set designer Stefan Beckman for August 2024 Wallpaper* – come on in
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
‘Midcentury modern is as American as punk rock’: 22RE on its latest full-scale project
The new LA offices of music branding agency Ceremony of Roses, designed by local studio 22RE, are a real conversation starter
By Carole Dixon Published
-
Globetrotting designer Mark Grattan shares his latest plans and next moves
Amid his meteoric rise, Mark Grattan speaks with Wallpaper* about his trailblazing career, 'getting the right type of help', and calculating his next move
By Laura May Todd Published
-
Ido Yoshimoto turns salvaged wood into sculptural pieces at his northern Californian workshop
Visiting Ido Yoshimoto at his California studio, we talk to the artist about his work with wood, from his beginning as an arborist to his sculptures and furniture made with local reclaimed material
By Shonquis Moreno Published
-
12 American icons of design, from cowboy boots to the MacBook Air
Our star-spangled round-up hails American icons of design and their latest iterations, from Pharrell Williams' cowboy boots to the Tiffany Lock, and a tiny yellow cab
By Jack Moss Published
-
Wallpaper* USA 400: meet the people shaping Creative America in 2024
The Wallpaper* USA 400 honours the people defining America's creative landscape in 2024, from legends to rising stars, activists to celebrity shapeshifters
By Wallpaper* Published
-
August 2024 Wallpaper*: Creative America is on sale today and free to download
Enjoy a free digital copy of August 2024 Wallpaper* – our celebration of the USA as a creative superpower – when you sign up to our daily digest of news
By Bill Prince Published