Untitled (Bird Chair), ca. 1953. Marian Mahler.
The fresh, innovative work of Lucienne Day (1917-2010) transformed the post-war British home and made stylish design available for all. The upcoming Textile Museum exhibition Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain showcases the work of Day and two of her contemporary female British designers: Jacqueline Groag (1903-1985) and Marian Mahler (1911-1983). Turning their backs on the austerity of the wartime era, Day, Groag, and Mahler took inspiration from modernist painters and helped pioneer a colorful and playful mid-century aesthetic, forever transforming the interior design industry. Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain is on view at The Textile Museum May 15 – September 12, 2010. About the Exhibition Featuring more than 50 colorful textiles drawn from the private Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III Collection of British Textiles, as well as select pieces of mid-century furniture, Art by the Yard is the first exhibit of its kind in Washington, D.C. Magazines from the era featuring advertisements and profiles of these celebrity designers add context to the pieces on display. Noted as “full of imaginative fabrics by women who deserve more recognition” by Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik, the exhibition opens in a year when high quality design on a limited budget is especially relevant.
The majority of the pieces in the exhibit were created by Lucienne Day, one of Britian’s most prolific and successful female designers. Her patterns, used for wallpapers, fabrics and tea towels, contributed to a distinctive 1950s and ‘60s aesthetic. Yet her sophisticated color choices and inventive references to nature remain surprisingly fresh. In 2005 Converse launched a shoe with her design Magnetic (1957), featured in the Textile Museum exhibition. Day, who passed away January 30, 2010, launched her career at the 1951 Festival of Britain. Her furnishing fabric Calyx, with its floating forms and bright colors, resonated with consumers and launched her international career. Along with her husband, furniture designer Robin Day, Lucienne believed in modern design’s transformative power to shape a better world and sought to create beautiful, useful objects accessible to all. Britain’s answer to American designer-duo Charles and Ray Eames, the Days became the poster couple for young and stylish homeowners.
Select designs by Mahler and Groag are featured in Art by the Yard along with Lucienne Day’s work. Groag, originally from Czechoslovakia, is considered one of Britain’s most versatile designers. Her bold patterns were used for fabrics (both for the home and dress), furniture, wallpaper, and even in subway and airplane design. Mahler is renowned for her whimsical designs, with motifs ranging from birds to abstract forms. Her affordable textiles were seen in fashionable homes throughout Britain and complemented contemporary decorating styles.
Untitled (Pebbles), ca. 1952. Jacqueline Groag.
The Textile Museum will present a full slate of exhibition-related programs to recall the era of Sputnik and Twiggy and bring the designs in Art by the Yard to life. Visiting scholars include Jennifer Harris, deputy director of the Whitworth Art Gallery at the University of Manchester, England and Dr. Pat Kirkham, professor at the Bard Graduate Center for the Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture. Look forward to period films such as The Best of Everything (screening in June) and a mid-century themed PM @ The TM after-hours party later in the summer. As Britain’s design industry was regaining momentum, Lucienne Day, Jacqueline Groag and Marian Mahler dared to offer a fresh approach to textile design in an era dominated by male professional artists. Believing that “good design” should be available for everyone, their products shaped the national aesthetic and continue to offer artistic inspiration and delight today.
Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain is curated by Shanna Shelby (Curator, Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III Collection of British Textiles) and coordinated by Lee Talbot (Associate Curator, The Textile Museum). For more information or images, please contact Cyndi Bohlin at (202) 667-0441, ext. 78, or by e-mail at cbohlin@textilemuseum.org.
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