Dorothy Ruddick: A Decade in Fiber, 1973-1983

The Drawing Room is pleased to announce  "Dorothy Ruddick: A Decade in Fiber, 1973-1983," on view through January 31, 2021.

The exhibition of thirteen works highlights a pivotal period in the career of Dorothy Cole Ruddick (1925- 2010) that began in the summer of 1973. After focusing on drawing in pen and ink for two prodigious decades, the artist picked up needle and thread while transfixed by the televised Watergate hearings. This spontaneous choice of materials sparked an expansive exploration of imagery that combined stitching, weaving and drawing on natural linen grounds.

The earliest works on view are vibrant, intricately constructed compositions that exemplify Ruddick’s first experiments with embroidery floss and other fibers. Within a few years, her stitched and woven canvases evolved to incorporate a broader range of yarns and thread assembled in dramatic high reliefs. Fischbach Gallery presented Ruddick’s first solo show of this body of work in 1976, and museum acquisitions and exhibitions soon followed. By 1980, a more subdued sensibility appeared in a series of meticulously rendered works that incorporate muted strands of thread with ink and white gesso.

Ruddick’s inspirations spanned classical, baroque and minimal influences developed over the course of her rigorous art education. Art history studies at Radcliffe College and the Fogg Art Museum for two years preceded her decision to attend Black Mountain College in 1945. At that time Black Mountain was shaped by the leadership of Josef Albers, whose instruction and emphasis on dissolving the boundaries between art and craft made a profound impression on the young artist. Albers introduced key Bauhaus principals during his time in Ashville, and Black Mountain is widely recognized as an important incubator for noted 20th century artists, writers, musicians and other cultural figures.

 
See below for full press release and selected works.