A Look Into Frank Stella’s Mesmerizing Collection of Diné Textiles
Assembled over decades, the late abstract artist Frank Stella’s breathtaking collection of textiles made by Diné women enters the spotlight for the first time in a New York City presentation ahead of its upcoming sale. Stella developed the selection of 40 weavings from the 19th and 20th centuries according to his personal taste for bold color palettes and dynamic geometric patterns, shirking the typical collecting benchmarks for Diné textile scholarship.
“ What Frank admired so much was the workmanship and the artists who made them, because their sense of geometry resonated a lot with him,” McGurk continued. “They were just so natural and so direct, but really inspired. Frank liked more of the design, the look, the feel, and the idea of the person who made it, rather than the condition.”
“ He would wrap himself up in one in the living room when it was cold, and we hung another up in our house, but they were not on display to other people,” the artist's wife said. said.
Ahlberg Yohe (a leading Navaho textiles scholar) said that most of the objects were categorised as Transitional Period/Era weavings (c. 1880–1910). These are marked by a period of major change in Diné life and artistic tradition due to the emergence of an Anglo market through trading posts, the importation of synthetically dyed yarn, and the consumer shift to rugs, wall-hangings, and decorative pieces over the intertribal preferences for classic blankets known for their durable and meticulous craftsmanship.
https://hyperallergic.com/a-look-into-frank-stellas.../
(all photos Peter Pap Rugs)
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