017. Anni Albers and Marian Bantjes: Modern Takes on Weaving and Ornamentation

In this double feature, discover how Anni Albers revolutionized the traditional craft of weaving into a modern art form as a Bauhaus trailblazer, while Marian Bantjes shares her creative journey of transforming ornamental graphic design into a contemporary storytelling medium.

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Sources:

• 1968 Interview with Anni Albers — conducted 1968 July 5, by Sevim Fesci, for the Archives of American Art
• Book — On Weaving by Anni Albers – A seminal work where Anni reflects on her life, her craft, and the philosophies behind her approach to weaving.
• Book — Anni and Josef Albers: Equal and Unequal by Nicholas Fox Weber – A comprehensive biography that delves deep into Albers' life and work, offering insights into her creative process and legacy.
• Book — Anni and Josef Albers: Art and Life by Julia Garimorth, Vincent Broqua, and Brenda Danilowitz
• Video — "Bauhaus: The Face of the 20th Century" (1994) – A BBC documentary that covers the history of the Bauhaus, including interviews and insights into Anni Albers' role within the movement.
• Video — "Black Mountain College” Visionaries Episode – This documentary explores the experimental college where Anni and Josef Albers taught, emphasizing its influence on modern art and design.
• The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation – https://albersfoundation.org/ – The official website of the Albers Foundation, featuring extensive information on her life, work, and exhibitions.
• MoMA Learning: Anni Albers – https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/anni-albers/ – A resource that provides an educational overview of Anni Albers’ work within the context of modern art.

About Anni Albers

Anni Albers is widely considered to be the foremost textile designer of the 20th century. She made major innovations in the field of functional materials and at the same time she expanded the possibilities of single weavings and individual artworks. She was also an adventurous graphic artist who took printmaking technique into previously uncharted territory.

Not only was she a pioneering textile artist, and printmaker, but she was an educator whose work redefined the boundaries between craft and fine art. She may arguably be THE person responsible for helping the masses see textile as art, not just craft. She studied at the Bauhaus, taught at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, where she continued to push the limits of weaving, experimenting with unconventional materials and techniques. Her book On Weaving (1965) remains a seminal text in textile design.

About Marian Bantjes

Marian's Books:
I Wonder
Pretty Pictures

Marian Bantjes (b. 1963) @bantjes is a Canadian graphic artist who is known for her signature maximalist style. Her intricate ornamentation creates texture and illusion, and challenges the minimalist boundaries of traditional graphic design.

Her clients include Pentagram, Saks Fifth Avenue, Print Magazine, Wallpaper* , WIRED, Creative Review, The Guardian (UK), The New York Times, AIGA, TypeCon, and more.

Her career spans 3 stages: she started in the 80s as a book typesetter for a publishing company and then from there she became partner at a small design firm in Canada, working on brand identity and communication designs.

In 2003 Marian decided to embark on the work that has brought her international recognition and fame as a world-class visual designer

Her work has an underlying structure that frames its fluid nature and she has an impressive way of interweaving word and image.

She says "throwing your individuality into a project is heresy" but she has built a career doing just that, as her signature style is unmistakable. In 2007 she released Restraint, a typeface that integrates her style of ornamentation to be used as shapes and borders.

Marian has been honored with several awards over the years and her work is now part of the permanent collection at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

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