Anni Albers: On Weaving—New Expanded Edition

By Anni Albers

"The chief argument of the book—that the hand-made and mechanically reproduced can happily co-exist—is told visually as well as verbally. . . . [Anni Albers] emerges from the new On Weaving as both a historical figure and a living one."—Charles Darwent, Burlington Magazine

"It is over 50 years since On Weaving was first published in 1965, but in this new edition it is as fresh and inspiring as ever. Indeed, the colour plates alone . . . could furnish hours of contemplation."—Cally Brooker, Journal of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers

"With enviable clarity, Albers reviews the basics of weaving materials and techniques while threading the history of weaving from Peru and Persia to China, Europe, and beyond. Her emphasis on tactility seems especially urgent today, as she offers the next generation a profound corrective to an increasingly digital monoculture."—Jenny Anger, author of Paul Klee and the Decorative in Modern Art

The classic book on the art and history of weaving—now expanded and in full color.

Written by one of the twentieth century’s leading textile artists, this splendidly illustrated book is a luminous meditation on the art of weaving, its history, its tools and techniques, and its implications for modern design. First published in 1965, On Weaving bridges the transition between handcraft and the machine-made, highlighting the essential importance of material awareness and the creative leaps that can occur when design problems are tackled by hand.

With her focus on materials and handlooms, Anni Albers discusses how technology and mass production place limits on creativity and problem solving, and makes the case for a renewed embrace of human ingenuity that is particularly important today. Her lucid and engaging prose is illustrated with a wealth of rare and extraordinary images showing the history of the medium, from hand-drawn diagrams and close-ups of pre-Columbian textiles to material studies with corn, paper, and the typewriter, as well as illuminating examples of her own work.

Now available for a new generation of readers, this expanded edition of On Weaving updates the book’s original black-and-white illustrations with full-color photos, and features an afterword by Nicholas Fox Weber and essays by Manuel Cirauqui and T’ai Smith that shed critical light on Albers and her career.

Hardcover
272 pages | 150 color, 28 b/w illustrations
Princeton University Press, 2017
9 x 1 x 11.5 inches
ISBN 9780691177854
Artist Monographs, Weaving, Textile Design, Women Artists