Reading Craft Book Discussion: Cameron T. Brown on Anni Albers – Aug 1, 6:30pm

Thursday, August 1, 2019
6:30-8pm
6:30pm: Light refreshments
7pm: Discussion begins

Join the Craft in America Center in discussing books relating to our current exhibition, Material Meaning: A Living Legacy of Anni Albers

Our guest will be Cameron Taylor Brown, who has recommended the following books by Anni Albers:

On Weaving: New Expanded Edition by Anni Albers; contributions by Nicholas Fox Weber, Manuel Cirauqui and, T`ai Smith –

Given the number of references made to it by artists in the show, Cameron T. Brown would like to recommend Tactile Sensibility, which can be read as a stand-alone essay, and is chapter 8 from the book On Weaving by Anni Albers.

The classic book on the art and history of weaving―now expanded and in full color Written by one of the twentieth century’s leading textile artists, this splendidly illustrated book is a luminous meditation on the art of weaving, its history, its tools and techniques, and its implications for modern design. First published in 1965, On Weaving bridges the transition between handcraft and the machine-made, highlighting the essential importance of material awareness and the creative leaps that can occur when design problems are tackled by hand.

With her focus on materials and handlooms, Anni Albers discusses how technology and mass production place limits on creativity and problem solving, and makes the case for a renewed embrace of human ingenuity that is particularly important today. Her lucid and engaging prose is illustrated with a wealth of rare and extraordinary images showing the history of the medium, from hand-drawn diagrams and close-ups of pre-Columbian textiles to material studies with corn, paper, and the typewriter, as well as illuminating examples of her own work.

Selected Writings on Design by Anni Albers – Anni Albers (1899 – 1994) was one of the most influential textile designers of the 20th century. Born in Berlin, in 1922 she became a student at the Bauhaus in Weimar, where she met her husband, Josef Albers. From 1933 to 1949 Albers taught at Black Mountain College. The fifteen essays gathered here illustrate Anni Albers’s concept of design as the pursuit of wholeness — “the coalition of form answering practical needs and form answering aesthetic needs.” This beautifully illustrated book addresses the artistic and practical concerns of modern design and considers the ever-changing role of the designer.

All are welcome to visit our library to view copies of the books in advance.  Please reserve your spot at rsvp@craftinamerica.org