Anni Albers (1899–1994) is considered the most important textile artist of the 20th century. Known for her wall hangings, weavings, and designs, she was also an innovative educator and printmaker.  

Anni Albers: In Thread and On Paper highlights how nimbly Albers moved between mediums—including her shift from weaving to printmaking in the 1960s—and transitioned between making art and designing functional and commercial objects. Drawn from the collection of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the exhibition focuses on groundbreaking work from the last 40 years of her life. In addition to Albers’s woven rugs, tapestries, drawings, and prints, the exhibition features her loom and wallpaper based on her designs.

In weaving, designing, and printmaking, Albers’s faith in the power of abstraction never wavered. She understood material not only as a vehicle to carry ideas, but more importantly for its physical and structural potential. As she put it, “If we want to get from materials the sense of directness, the adventure of being close to the stuff the world is made of, we have to go back to the material itself, to its original state, and from there on partake in its stages of change.”

This exhibition is curated by Fritz Horstman, education director at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. The Blanton presentation is organized by Claire Howard, Associate Curator, Collections and Exhibitions.