Lenore Tawney: Signs on the Wind

Noted weaver Lenore Tawney—who exhibited her imaginative work well into her 90s—began creating postcard collages in the 1960s, sending them to friends and colleagues through the U.S. mail. A form of communication without specific messages, the cryptic notations were often enhanced by Tawney’s handwriting. As Tawney explained, “They were signs thrown to the wind.” The selected postcard collages reveal the creative, mystical, and humorous side of the artist, giving the viewer an intimate glimpse into the personality of this most innovative woman.

Tawney’s postcards are rich, dynamic things. They develop a range of difficult themes—childhood, female sexuality, spirituality—in subtle ways. They can be treasured both for their hermetism and their wide cultural embrace. They can be read as treatises or valentines —Holland Cotter

Tawney was the recipient of the Visionary Award from the American Craft Museum, New York, 2000. Her works are found in the collections of the American Craft Museum; the Brooklyn Museum of Art; the Renwick Gallery; and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Montréal, Quebec.