Printed Textile c. 1938

This printed textile was made by Eleanor Rogers, who lived between 1855 and 1995, but we don't know exactly when it was made. I think there is an important lesson in that, because the making is all here in the doing, the colours and shapes. The palette is warm, earthy browns punctuated by the occasional splash of red or green, which feel like tiny jewels. The surface is dense, built up of repeated geometric shapes: circles and diamonds and half-circles. Look closely and you can see the texture of the weave, a tangible reminder of the process that brought it into being. There’s something satisfying about the way Rogers explores the limited palette, achieving so much variety with so few moves. The little fringe at the edge of the textile, feels almost like a signature, a deliberate choice to leave the process visible. This piece puts me in mind of Anni Albers who, like Rogers, was deeply interested in the language of weaving, and the possibilities of abstraction. Art is a conversation, and this piece has a lot to say.