Printed Textile

Editor: Here we have Mary Berner's "Printed Textile," from around 1938. It looks like a linocut print, possibly with pencil or drawing as well. I'm struck by its almost quilt-like design featuring presidents and patriotic symbols. What historical context might have influenced its creation? Curator: Well, let's think about the 1930s. The US was in the grip of the Great Depression. Consider the potential function of visual imagery during times of crisis, and for whom this piece may have been intended. Given the presidents, eagle, and ship, how might this piece tap into feelings of national identity during that period? Editor: It seems like it would be meant to boost morale, or reinforce traditional American values, kind of like propaganda? Curator: Exactly. This textile could function as a form of visual propaganda, designed to bolster faith in the nation’s leaders and institutions, even amidst hardship. Notice the repetition of circular portraits – do these organizational devices present them as equals, or suggest hierarchy? How could display practices enhance or challenge the work’s intended meaning? Editor: That's a good point. I initially just saw the portraits, but placing them suggests who is valued by whom and in what structure. Also, because it’s on a textile, it invites thinking about a domestic, interior setting. Was Berner thinking about how a print, something usually seen as elite or commercial, could be accessible to ordinary people in that form? Curator: Precisely. Berner might have been attempting to democratize portraiture and historical imagery. So, who do you think "ordinary people" may have been, at that time? And who were being forgotten? Whose values does this printed textile emphasize? Editor: I see your point; the history is definitely more complicated than a first glance suggests. Curator: Indeed. We can consider how museums decide which artworks will resonate with people, or the reverse, how artworks remind a people about who they value. What a revealing intersection of design and history! Editor: I see this work in a new light, thinking about the political function of imagery in times of crisis, and it invites consideration about these displays and values today!