Coverlet 1938

This textile design on paper was made by J. Howard Iams, sometime in the 20th century. The repetition of forms and colours is hypnotic; the weaving process is evident in every mark. Looking closely, the texture feels almost like it's been built up, layer by layer. The red is laid down, and the blue sits on top. This reminds me of the way I build up my own paintings, where colours interact to create a kind of visual vibration. See how these two colours hum against each other. I wonder what this coverlet would have felt like to touch, to be wrapped in. I can see tiny imperfections, little shifts in alignment that give the whole thing a human feel. This piece sits within a long history of textile design, connecting to artists like Anni Albers, who approached weaving with a similar sense of experimentation. What you see here is not just a design, but a conversation across time, about the relationship between form and function, art and life.