Woven Coverlet c. 1936

J. Howard Iams made this Woven Coverlet. It's an intricate blue and white gridded pattern that almost vibrates with its precision. I love how the texture gives a pulse to the design. Each little square and floral motif is carefully woven, like individual brushstrokes in a painting. You can practically feel the hand of the maker in every intersection and knot. The whole thing shimmers, the dense blues and whites creating a moiré effect that dances before your eyes. Look at the lower left corner where the coverlet folds over. See how the pattern shifts and changes? It's a reminder that art, like life, is full of surprises and unexpected perspectives. This coverlet reminds me a bit of some of the work of Anni Albers, who was also interested in the possibilities of weaving as a way to explore geometric abstraction and the relationship between art, craft, and design. The subtle shifts and variations in Iams’s coverlet remind us that art is always an ongoing conversation, full of possibilities.