the archive
The archive of the Jack Lenor Larsen textile company reveals time and again that the driving force behind this influential company has always been the principal that art need not be separated into high (or fine) art and low art (or craft).

The Larsen Design Studio created modern, artistic fabrics for interior use, yet their innovations with handwovens, batiks and fabrics in scale with modern architecture have changed the industry.

Artistic and technical explorations are the cornerstones that have kept the company on the front edge of the market for half a century.

Larsen: a living archive - Jack Lenor Larsen

the web site
Larsen: A Living Archive was created in conjunction with the exhibition Jack Lenor Larsen: The Company and The Cloth at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It provides a look into a growing database that will eventually represent the Institute's entire Larsen collection.

Here, the archive is presented in such a way that any number of approaches can be taken:

"What was Larsen designing in the 1970s?"
Online visitors can look at Larsen's work decade-by-decade.

"How did Larsen handle printed velvets throughout his career?"
Thematic groupings are also available.

"Where is that jungle pattern I saw in the exhibition?"
You'll find a search box on every page. Type in a keyword and click "GO".

Best of all, this project lives on beyond the exhibition. It will continue to grow and will always be available on the Web.


the exhibition
Jack Lenor Larsen: The Company and The Cloth

December 1, 2001 through March 10, 2002
U.S. Bank Gallery, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

June 15 through July 28, 2002
American Textile History Museum, Lowell, MA

August 23, 2002 through January 12, 2003
Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art, LaJolla, CA


 
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