The King I 1962

Lenore Tawney created "The King I" using linen thread, and the labor-intensive technique of weaving. The choice of linen is significant. Unlike luxury materials such as silk or gold thread, linen has a long association with domestic production and plain utility, and is transformed by Tawney into a soaring, monumental form. Its inherent qualities of texture and weight are crucial to the work's impact. Each strand contributes to the overall density, creating a tactile surface that invites close looking. The weaving process, with its rhythmic interlacing of warp and weft, speaks to traditions of female labor. The title, "The King I," hints at themes of power and authority, yet these are expressed through humble means. Tawney elevates the status of craft, blurring lines between the domestic and the monumental, the ordinary and the regal. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we appreciate the full meaning of Tawney's artwork.