Piece of Handwoven Linen c. 1937

Daniel Fletcher made this Piece of Handwoven Linen, of undetermined date, in pen and ink over graphite on paper. The textile pattern is presented in a square block in the center of the composition. The lines of the square are crisp and well defined, while the blue and white pattern is less so. The piece is structured by the use of horizontal and vertical lines in the plaid design that suggests a stable, ordered system. The geometric and repetitive pattern of the handwoven linen invites a reading that explores how cultural objects communicate through signs and symbols. Fletcher’s choice to isolate this fragment from its original large dimensions, may challenge fixed notions of utility, aesthetics and value. The plaid, commonly associated with specific cultural identities, here is decontextualized and presented as a subject of formal study. The meticulous rendering of the textile's weave suggests that the value of the work lies not just in its representation of a functional object, but in its capacity to convey a deeper engagement with structure and meaning.