Beginning with this issue, the Norwegian Textile Letter will include a regular column to alert readers to recommended online Scandinavian textile information. I often hear of interesting articles online, and this will be a venue to share. Several times each year I learn of Scandinavian textiles in gallery or museum exhibits. This “catch-all” Nordic News column will include websites, blogs, conferences, or projects. Let me know if you have items to share!
Articles
The Journal of Dress History is the academic publication of The Association of Dress Historians. This very readable historical article from 2018 chronicles the development of bunads (regional national costumes), and their relationship to traditional peasant dress. See: Solveig Strand. “The Norwegian Bunad: Peasant Dress, Embroidered Costume, and National Symbol.” The Journal of Dress History, Volume 2, Issue 3, Autumn 2018, pp. 100-121. (The link is to the whole issue; scroll to page 100 for the article.)
Claudio Cocco traveled all the way from Arizona to study drawloom weaving with Anne Nygård at her Damaskvev studio in Bjorn, Norway. Read about Claudia’s travel and textile adventure in her extensive blog post, Damask Adventure – Weaving at the 66th Parallel. You can follow Claudia’s further weaving adventures on her blog, Vairarenbeth’s Blog, and on Instagram, where she posts under the name #teacatweaver.
Exhibits
Ann-Mari Forsberg (Sweden, 1916–1992) for Märta Måås-Fjetterström, Red Crocus hanging, 1945. Cooper Hewitt Design Museum
A trip to Milwaukee this summer is in order, to visit a major exhibit, Scandinavian Design and the U.S., 1890-1980 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, from May 15–September 7, 2020. There are a substantial number of textiles included, 32 of the total of 180. From the overview:
Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890–1980, will be the first major international loan exhibition to examine the extensive design exchanges between the United States and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) during the twentieth century. The exhibition will examine how both Nordic ideas about modern design and the objects themselves had an indelible impact on American culture and material life, as well as demonstrate America’s influence on Scandinavian design.
Envelope from Sweden,” 1992″
MIA (the Minneapolis Institute of Arts) recently opened Cloth Paper Scissors: Helena Hernmarck Weaves the Everyday, February 15-October 18, 2020. (Note: Hernmarck will deliver a lecture in connection with the exhibition, date TBD, in July or after.)
What sparks the artist’s imagination? Helena Hernmarck often finds inspiration in the stuff of everyday life: a letter, admission tickets, paper money, even dry cleaner tags. She contemplates these humble items, scales them up, and weaves them into large tapestries that display her virtuosic skills in photorealism. Showcased in this installation are four of Hernmarck’s “paper illusion” textiles in Mia’s permanent collection alongside works of art and archival materials from the artist’s private collection.
The Swedish American Museum in Chicago, Illinois, is holding an exhibit from March 7-June 7, 2020, Double-Weave in Sweden: New Materials and Applications.
Double-weave is a special weaving technique that creates textiles with two layers…This exhibit is put together by nine weavers from Sweden. Their aim is to preserve this cultural heritage and teach people about its history and techniques. The weavers hope that by finding new uses, materials, and applications for double-weave, they will increase awareness around this weaving form and renew interest in the craft.
Designs from the Oleana company near Bergen, Norway, are featured in the Galleri at Norway House in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from February 14-May 10, 2020.
News
In Minnesota, the Scandinavian Weavers Study Group is embarking on a group project. 18 members will weave pillow tops in rosepath, inspired by Anna Östlund’s book, Från Januari blues till December röd: 18 kuddar i rosengång (From January Blues to December Reds: 18 pillows in rosepath). Watch for updates about the project on the Scandinavian Weavers blog, at scandinavianweaversmn.com.