Woven Coverlet 1937

This is Howard H. Sherman's 'Woven Coverlet', we don't know exactly when he made it or with what, but it looks like it’s a design for a woven blanket. I love the way the artist seems to relish in the process of artmaking. The color palette is restrained; mainly blues, reds, and purples, but the interplay of these colors gives the work its vibrancy. The texture isn't exactly physical, but the weaving creates a simulated roughness that makes you want to touch it. Look at the bottom, where the date is, and how the floral patterns and geometric shapes work together. There’s this lovely tension between the graphic and the organic. It reminds me a bit of early textile designs and also the work of someone like Anni Albers, who similarly played with the boundaries between art and craft. Ultimately, this piece celebrates the simple beauty of patterns and the human touch in design. It reminds us that art is all about dialogue and interpretation, not just about having the right answers.