Warming Up with Swedish Mid-Century Tapestries
I happened upon the work of Swedish tapestry and rug designer Marianne Richter this morning. She lived from 1873 - 1941 and was one of three main designers at an innovative workshop in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s in Sweden, started by Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Designers of the MMF workshop as it is known, found inspiration in local Swedish plants and animals, stylized Oriental patterns, and the lights and colors of Scandinavian summers. Richter was described as “exuberantly life-affirming, one who more than others at this time brought a sense of fun and color to her compositions.” And “[she designed] patterns that make one happy.”* The colors and abstraction in the rug below grabbed me! Entitled Karneval it’s full of jesters.
KARNEVAL, Signed "MR" (Marianne Richter), Sweden, 1961
230 x 160,5 cm
Detail of the back of Karneval, showing the rich original color. So much goodness here— the colors, loose ends, patterns, diagonals— and it fits right in with my current studio practice.
The Märta Måås-Fjetterström workshop
SWEDISH FLAT WEAVE, Marianne Richter, Sweden ca. 1945
10'7" x 10'0" (323 x 305 cm)
SWEDISH PILE, Marianne Richter, Sweden ca. 1955
9'3" x 6'9" (282 x 206 cm)
Drawings and embroidery, Sarah Pedlow.
Taking Marianne Richter’s example, how can we find and express more joy in our creative work? Right now I’m layering patterns in drawings and translating them into embroidery. Selecting lines and shapes and making compositions with floral patterns is fun! I hope the lightness, openness, and even playfulness will translate in the work.
Speaking of tapestries, the Évora/Arraiolos/Lisbon retreat will visit an incredible contemporary tapestry museum! I was so impressed by this museum tucked away in the Alentejo region when visiting last summer. Check back for a future blog post about it.
It’s suddenly very cold in Amsterdam! I feel a bit warmer looking at Marianne Richter’s work– hope you do, too!
Sources:
*Quote by journalist, Inga Wallenquist in 2009 via Anne Whidden’s blog https://theswedishrugblog.wordpress.com/ March 26, 2018 post. To dive into the world of Swedish rugs start with Anne’s blog!