two horizontal panels stitched together; four red, orange and yellow tulip blossoms on a dark green ground; black heading band on back

%C2%A91999 Helena Hernmarck

Four Tulips, 1999

Helena Hernmarckexpand_more

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Gift of Helena M. Hernmarckexpand_more  2008.57.3

Not on Viewexpand_more

Contemporary artist Helena Hernmarck weaves textiles that pay homage to centuries-old European tapestry-weaving traditions. But she is equally indebted to pointillist painters such as Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, who in the late 1800s and early 1900s composed complex imagery with small, multicolored dots. Hernmarck’s careful handling of variously colored weft (horizontal) thread bundles allows her to “paint” with fiber “dots” that only seem to come together when viewed from a distance.

These painterly methods underpin Hernmarck’s trademark style, which she calls “superrealism.” She often begins with a photograph of something ordinary—in this case, tulips—and then magnifies it for her woven design. As the viewer steps back, a sea of red, green, and yellow dots and dashes transforms into outsized, lifelike flowers.

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Details
Title
Four Tulips
Artist Life
American (born Sweden), born 1941
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2008.57.3
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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two horizontal panels stitched together; four red, orange and yellow tulip blossoms on a dark green ground; black heading band on back

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