There is a renaissance of interest in the work of Frida Hansen in Norway. My particular research passion is the open warp transparent tapestry technique she developed and patented in 1897.
Frida Hansen. Havfruer [Mermaids], 1921. (detail) Photo: Robbie LaFleur. See more photos of the tapestry here.
I am writing a book about Frida Hansen’s transparent tapestries and about the talented designers who also created images for her wool open warp technique. Many designers had been weavers in Frida Hansen’s studio. Currently, transparent tapestries often come up for auction, or are owned privately, and the names of the designers are unknown. I’m trying to unearth some of the mystery designers. Why are the names lost to history? Mats Linder, a writer and Scandinavian design specialist, has an opinion. This is a section from his post, “1914 Års glemte kvinner – og Sparebankstiftelsens DNB’s Innkjøpspolitikk” (April 8, 2021).
In this post I try to look at what happened more than a hundred years ago and what is happening now. Loose threads, new art history and questions about how we can move forward. First, a look back at some of the forgotten women who participated in Norway’s Jubilee Exhibition 1914.
Titti Karsten. Portieres. Exhibited at Norges Jubileumsutstilling 1914. Photo: Worm-Petersen, Severin / Norsk Teknisk Museum.
Titti Karsten (1880–1963) was an important textile artist in the early 20th century. She apprenticed and worked for a period for textile artist Frida Hansen. From around 1904 she was a textile consultant for the Den Norske Husflidsforening [the Norwegian Handcraft Association]. Karsten also had her own weaving studio where home textiles were made. If the Norwegian artist encyclopedia is to be trusted, the Jubilee Exhibition was the highlight of her career. The reason for the conclusion is presumably that the author was not aware of her other production. This is due to the fact that the museums in their time did not buy women’s handicrafts, unless it was a man who was behind the design. [italics are mine]
I recommend reading the whole article, and many more of them. His posts are in Norwegian, but include a handy “translate” feature beside each one.
He finished the article with these words in bold font: “In order to promote women’s place in the history of art and design, active work must be done to make them visible. Books, articles, exhibitions, films and other things are needed, and in quantities. It’s not too late, but it has to happen now.”
I hope I can do a small part, by documenting Frida Hansen’s influence and honoring talented women designers of transparent tapestries created in Hansen’s signature technique.
