Woven Coverlet c. 1936

J. Howard Iams made this woven coverlet, and just imagining the act of weaving it makes my hands ache! The pattern is so neat and precise. It looks like a grid of dark blue squares, each with a lighter blue square inside. The grid is connected by lines of tiny little shapes that remind me of flowers. I wonder what Iams was thinking when he made this. Maybe he was thinking about the person who would use it, keeping them warm on a cold night. Or maybe he was just lost in the rhythm of the loom, the back and forth of the shuttle, the click-clack of the threads falling into place. It reminds me a little bit of Anni Albers's textile works that explore the intersection of art, craft, and industrial production. Iams is part of a long conversation about color and pattern, echoing across generations. Like painters, weavers combine skill and a kind of intuitive knowledge, creating something both functional and beautiful that allows for many feelings and interpretations.