Crewel Embroidery c. 1936

This Crewel Embroidery was made by Fanchon Larzelere, who lived an impressively long life, but we don’t know exactly when this piece was stitched. What strikes me is the playful, hand-wrought quality of the thing, that says so much about the time and love that went into its creation. The texture of the embroidery on the linen ground creates a raised surface, you can almost feel the loops and knots of thread. Look closely and you’ll see how the stems of the plants are built from simple stitches. The colors feel muted, soft pinks, blues and greens, but placed together they make a really vibrant pattern. The whole thing has a life of its own. It reminds me a little of the work of Ree Morton, who also took ‘craft’ materials and elevated them to high art. It makes you think about how artists, whether they know it or not, are always in conversation with each other, across time and space. It’s not about imitation, but about influence, and the ongoing reinvention of art itself.