This morning I marvel at the universality of symbols, and at the enduring appeal of geometric designs. When I studied reams of Frida Hansen’s weaving sketches this fall, I especially appreciated some of her geometric musings, thoughts on paper about assembling traditional Norwegian weaving motifs into complex patterns. In the 1890s Frida Hansen worked to revive traditional weaving in Norway and coverlets made in rutevev, or square-weave technique, on an upright loom, were part of her tapestry exploration.
Her complex combinations seem modern.
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, currently has a blockbuster show, Dyani White Hawk: Love Language. White Hawk’s incorporation of traditional Lakota Indian symbols informs her conceptual pieces with deep meaning. Some of my favorite works of hers are totem-pole-like towers, covered in beaded geometric designs. White Hawk assigned sections of the works to the beaders who work with her, and told them to create designs they like. The result is not unlike Frida Hansen’s watercolors above.
Also this fall I walked through a gallery at MIA (the Minneapolis Institute of Art) and noticed a Tibetan medallion rug.
The subtle tonalities of the Tibetan natural dyes don’t shout Norwegian, but the design elements are certainly the same as those on many Norwegian weavings. You can find the diamond shapes and crosses of the Tibetan weaving in the Frida Hansen sketch below.
This makes me want to weave a rutevev with a combination of patterns, inspired by Frida Hansen’s sketches. But there are Christmas letters left to write…