Handwoven Coverlet c. 1940

Fred Hassebrock made this handwoven coverlet, but we don’t know exactly when or where. The woven process results in a series of incremental marks with a limited palette. The deep blues, almost blacks, contrast with the light beige of the ground. The colors are woven together in geometric motifs. Look closely, and you’ll see it’s not perfect. This isn’t a mechanically reproduced image. It’s something handmade, and a bit wonky! I am drawn to the fringe at the bottom of the piece, which is also a series of incremental marks. Each strand is tied off in a knot. I wonder what kind of concentration it took to make these marks. They feel very human to me. I am reminded of the work of Anni Albers, who embraced the grid and saw weaving as a deeply modern art form. Both Albers and Hassebrock allow us to see the world in new ways.