Tennessee WPA Textile

Musical Abstraction (Untitled), c. 1935 - 1942, handwoven and embroidered textile on linen, 23 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches, label verso reads "Tenn. WPA Project handwoven / Related Art Dep. Univ. of Tenn. / "W.H. -13"

$9500

Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects took many forms between 1935 and 1942. In addition to the well known paintings and prints created under the auspices of the Federal Art Project, many states and localities also formed decorative art projects, the best known of which is the Milwaukee Handicraft Project. Although smaller in scale, the Tennessee WPA also founded a decorative arts project that brought together weaving, embroidery and other textile arts in traditional and, as in the present case, modern designs. Both skilled and unskilled workers worked in these projects producing a variety of household and decorative textiles. The present weaving is among the best examples from the Tennessee project. The design is thoroughly modern drawing on elements of Cubism and pure abstraction. The technique is immaculate. Another more conventional example of a weaving and embroidery from the Tennessee project is in the collection of the Broward County Library. No other examples are known to have come to light, making Musical Abstraction (Untitled) a remarkably rare object.