Anni Albers at Tate Modern: Tactile Sensibility

 A few weeks ago I visited  the Anni Albers exhibition  at Tate Modern.  I first became seriously aware  of her work in Whitechapel  Gallery exhibition ' adventures of the black square'  and then at 'Making, Unmaking' at Camden Arts Centre.   It  was a joy to see   a gallery space devoted to  textiles as art  ( and  for this to be recognized in  reviews of the exhibition  here  and here)   

What  struck me most was  how much the texture  added depth to abstract  work,  seeing the details and the variety of threads and 'stitches'   used in her 'pictorial weaving'  and  interestingly how fading of dyes over time made subtle changes.  She was such an innovator.  

 The larger installations , exploring the relationships between textiles and architecture  and the commission ' 6 prayers'  with their 'scriptural effect'  showed another dimension of her work

  Interesting use of metallic  threads - the silver threads in 'Haiku' (below)  reflecting back light in my  phone camera snap  ( you wouldn't be aware  of it in the  photos online)   

 I enjoyed her sketches and the fascinating  range of samples  and source material   for her  book ' On Weaving'   from student exercises using straw  and string  to fragments of  ancient woven pieces from cultures around the world

 In the final room  were samples of the types of yarn  she used and touchable swatches- reminders of how important the sense of touch is in textiles. I wonder how often they have to replace  them , or what they look like now after several weeks of  fondling and handling!?  

This was one of my favourite pieces - ' City' from  1949 ,  overlaid swatches of heavy threads  on a course hessian like background   giving the impression of buildings  In the words of  Nicholas Fox Weber,  the executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, “You see neighbourhoods; you hear populations; you sense traffic rushing along.”