Boston Town Coverlet 1935 - 1942

Editor: We’re looking at the "Boston Town Coverlet," a textile work created by Magnus S. Fossum between 1935 and 1942. The composition is quite striking – a dense, symmetrical arrangement of motifs from cityscapes to foliage. What is your interpretation of this coverlet's visual elements? Curator: I am particularly interested in the dialectical interplay within its formal structure. Notice how the artist juxtaposes geometric forms—the buildings—with organic, curvilinear shapes like the foliage and birds. These elements are presented with a high degree of symmetry and repetition, giving it the air of structuralism. Editor: Structuralism? Curator: Yes, it invites one to view the city and the natural world not just as aesthetic objects but as structural components, akin to binary oppositions. It raises several questions about binaries, the organization of human space, and nature's place within that system. Editor: So, it’s not simply a decorative object, but a complex layering of shapes in direct conversation? The composition almost seems to be arranged as modules interacting on a surface plane. Curator: Precisely. Furthermore, the coverlet's construction—the woven textile itself—adds another layer. The warp and weft create a grid, emphasizing its structural base. This grid interacts intriguingly with the pictorial elements of a cityscape which may create a new reading of this artwork in terms of how the organization relates to a functional and useful object. What impact do the geometric and figurative elements have on the textile as a material object? Editor: I had been focusing on what this weaving represents. Your perspective provides so much more! I realize I'm understanding how material and arrangement can become equally important visual content to engage with as a viewer. Curator: And therein lies the beauty – we've barely scratched the surface!