STRUCTURE AND FORM IN THE WEAVING OF JOHN BECKER

Suzanne Swannie

Life and work

John Becker is one of the most important 20th century weavers working in Scandinavia, and his work has been influential throughout the world.

For more than forty years John Becker, with the help of his wife Kirsten, has run their large weaving studio on the outskirts of Copenhagen. The two collaborated and shared the responsibilities for the artistic production of the studio. John Becker's technical and artistic sensibilities have enabled him to formulate various design solutions in woven fabric (form). Kirsten, an artist in her own right, has added her sensitively formed ideas, has acted as an advisor and has been thus instrumental in the creative process as well. The practical aspects of running the large studio, sometimes employing as many as sixteen weavers, has been shared between the two.

Although the Beckers are now semi-retired and John Becker for the last years has devoted himself primarily to historical interests, the large studio with many types of looms such as Jacquardlooms, drawlooms, a four meter wide rugloom, countermarchlooms, not to mention the new additions, still exists. The studio stands as a tangible testimony to Becker's, both rich and varied, artistic productions, as well as to his ongoing interest in the technology of weaving, which has also led to his historical researches.

John Becker, born in 1915, was educated at the School of Arts, Crafts and Design in Copenhagen where he worked with Gerda Henning. Her influence at this very early point contributed to Becker's interest in mechanically patterned textiles, which later were to influence the whole of his own production.

Becker's varied studio productions include tapestry and many categories of patterned weaves. Also, Becker has designed for industry, both independently and in collaboration with contemporary architects, for example, Arne Jacobsen.

ARS TEXTRINA 6 (1986), pp. 173-194

Much of the Becker studio production has depended on commissions for textiles to be placed in particular environments, and this has influenced their work. The practice of producing for specific situations, on one hand, imposed limitations on their creativity; on the other hand, Becker has always seen it as a challenge to modify his own ideas to suit the needs of particular architectural spaces. Thus, the Beckers work within the ancient tradition based on a close relationship between craftsman and client - a tradition which derives from medieval practices. They are crafts people in the purest sense of the word.

John Becker is not only a distinguished weaver, but also an important historian of the craft of weaving. His own weaving has been continuously influenced by his historical researches and these researches have at the same time been determined by his technical and artistic interests.

In this paper I want to draw upon my understanding of Becker's work which I gained, first hand, between 1960 and 1963 when I served my apprenticeship in his studio. In the summer of 1985 I revisited the studio in order to interview John Becker about his more recent work and research. In discussing with him his researches into the history of weaving, and reading his recent and as yet unpublished Pattern and Loom, it became clear to me that any serious interpretation of his studio work must be informed by his historical interests. The manu - script Pattern and Loom casts new light on the motivations and formal preoccupations underlying his own studio production and invites not only a new approach to the history of weaving, but also offers inspiration for contemporary weavers.

The technology of weaving

In order to understand the historical perspective provided in Pattern and Loom, and Becker's own practice, it is necessary to understand some fundamental principles of the technology of weaving. These principles establish the parameters within which a weaving aesthetic must necessarily be developed.

The woven surface is always visible as an adjoining collection of small areas of vertical warp and horizontal weft - in appearance not unlike a mosaic - and, as the interchange of these two elements is guided by mathematical intervals, it is a geometric quality which visually characterizes the woven motif.

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This quality has been utilized directly in the simpler and more common fabrics or masked through mechanical means in the production of intricate and complex figured weaves. The motifs of the latter weaves, however, although naturalistic and figurative, still maintain this intrinsic or disguised quality; and it is this quality which makes them unique and separates them from the imagery of other media.

Woven textiles were traditionally constructed out of geographically indigenous fibres which were chosen for qualities such as strength, elasticity, insulating properties, beauty and their ability to be spun or plied into long lengths of yarn. These yarns were woven into fabrics which would, for example, protect against harsh climatic conditions, or into fabrics of ceremonial character, the foremost function of which was to carry symbols of various kinds.

There was an historical development from simple plain woven fabrics, with no decorative details, into highly complicated and refined weaves carrying ornamentation or imagery of every conceivable kind. This ornamentation or imagery had to be integrated into the woven fabric in such a way that it became part of the structure itself. This was first done by the slow processes of repeatedly counting pattern sections into the warp or by the insertion of sectional wefts by hand.

A variety of devices to aid these laborious processes were developed and these in turn resulted in the development and construction of looms with special features which, although flexible, would adapt and formulate pattern and pictorial subject matter in characteristic ways.

The earliest known and simplest loom-types include the backstrap - loom, the groundloom and the warpweighted loom, the latter well known for having often been depicted, for example, on the Athenian lekythos from c. 560 BC. These looms can be grouped together as they only have one natural shed produced by a shedrod; a countershed could be activated through a harness supplied with halfheddles. As these looms had no beams for storage of warp and cloth the length of fabric which could be woven was relatively short. Weaving on this type of loom was slow and cumbersome, and only a tabby weave could be obtained through the manipulation of the loom itself. Pattern could be achieved through hand manipulation, that is, counted and picked up directly in the warp or on pick-up sticks, or layed in as sectional wefts in tapestry or brocade techniques. Motifs achieved through these techniques could be complex indeed but were slow to weave.

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In the search for greater efficiency in the making of fabrics with distinct patterns or surface characteristics, proper harnesses were developed to interact with the warpthreads. The horizontal harness - loom was supplied with treadles, a beater and beams on which long lengths of warp and cloth could be stored. These looms, unlike the former, were also supplied with mechanical tension devices.

The multi-harness loom could weave, in addition to tabby, other more complex structures such as twills and satins. The extra treadles and harnesses allowed the treadling and threading sequences to interact in such a way that loom-controlled repeat patterns could be woven. The complexity and size of these patterns were determined by the numbers of treadles and harnesses available. Four harnesses would allow for block patterns in which warp or weft flotations created the motifs. Six or more harnesses accommodated simple geometric patterns with distinct weft and warp faced surfaces. Where the former patterns theoretically could have been duplicated on primitive looms, the latter weaves were new and complex, in so far as they consisted of two sets of patterns. One was the basic structural pattern or weave which, by being reversed or changed at certain intervals, would create new and larger areas of pattern with alternating surface textures. Because each continuous warp or weft thread tied into the fabric in such a way that long flotations were avoided, large patterns could be achieved through this loom-controlled method of weaving, without jeopardizing the durability of the fabric.

If much more efficient than the looms described above, the multi- harnessloom, which relied on a predetermined sequence for inter - changing warp and weft, had limitations in terms of being able to adapt naturalistic figuration without making use of the slow methods of counting and picking up the design by hand (described above).

The 2nd century drawloom of Persian origin provided patterning facilities far beyond those of the harnessloom through a mechanism which could lift individual or groups of warpends. J. Becker defined the loom in the following terms:

The true drawloom is the finally developed loom supplied with an exactly calculated comberboard and simplecords arranged with a proper method for drawing patterns.

The drawing mechanism, which may be understood as having the use of an unlimited number of harnesses, extended a small number of actual harnesses which controlled the basic weave. The restriction of

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developing warp and weft areas according to a set sequence was thus eliminated and the adoption and interpretation of naturalistic figura - tive motifs made possible.

The Antinoe Pegassus silk illustrates a uniquely refined example of 6th century Persian drawloom weaving. The figuration is easily recognizable as the mythological winged horse. Yet the stylization of the motif reflects the geometric characteristics of a woven motif, and these are particularly noticeable in the details of the wings and neck of the horse. Such large and complex pattern motifs required an immense number of simple cords. These were drawn in proper sequence by assistants - the so-called drawboys - who were situated at a high level in the huge looms. The weaver manipulated the regular harnesses and undertook the actual weaving of the fabric. The drawloom went through many changes during the centuries but the basic method for drawing patterns remains unchanged, even in contemporary versions which can be operated by the weaver without any assistance.

In his revolutionary loom, Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834) replaced the drawing mechanism with the Jacquard machine, which automatically lifted groups of single warp ends. A series of cards, each corresponding to one weft, was supplied with holes punched in a certain pattern sequence. These cards, during the weaving, were fed one by one into the machine which was supplied with needles and acted as a simple computer, and transmitted positive and negative impulses to the warp. The needles contained in the machine were limited to certain numbers, commonly 400 or 600, and thus they limited the width of the design unit which could be woven on this efficient loom. Large repeatable or transversally symmetrical patterns and motifs of naturalistic character typify the traditional Jacquard production, which for efficiency were woven in very long lengths of cloth.

This very general discussion of the most prominent hand-loom types, and their corresponding fabrics, serves to illustrate the inter­ dependence of the technical aspects of weaving and the visual characteristics of particular fabrics.

We can now appreciate how John Becker has combined his unique expertise as a weaver with an extensive historical knowledge of all aspects of fabric construction.

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Pattern and Loom: Becker as Historian

We must now turn to Pattern and Loom in order to understand the mutual influence of both of Becker's activities - historical and practical. The manuscript was prepared in collaboration with the sinologist Donald B. Wagner, 1 and is now awaiting publication. Before the completion of this manuscript, John Becker's substantial artistic and historical/technological contributions had been reflected in their studio productions of forty years, and in his contributions through twenty-five years of teaching at the School of Arts, Crafts and Design in Copenhagen. He freely shared his knowledge of the ancient fabrics with his..students; in his book "Damask", 1955, written in collaboration with Gertrud Ingers, and in his 1981 article for C.I.E.T.A. (Centre Internationale D'Etude des Textiles Anciens) on the subject of monochrome silk weaving of Han China. The latter was very important because Becker, through the documentation of his practical experiments in weaving these fabrics, was able to prove that they could be woven without the use of a drawloom. He thus substantiated the theories of those historians - for example Harold Burnham - who for long have disagreed with the existing orthodoxy.

Pattern and Loom is an immense contribution to the history of the art of weaving as it documents his life-long work and research. In the eight hundred manuscript pages, Becker outlines the development of patterned weaves in Asia and Europe and documents important historical examples from many textile collections. He has analyzed these textiles through existing sources and through his own original research.

His technological expertise has enabled Becker to estimate accurately the methods by which certain historical fabrics were constructed: for this purpose he built special weaving equipment which duplicated the ancient ones, and wove exact reconstructions of these textiles. Furthermore, he transposed these methods to suit modern and more efficient equipment.

Throughout the latter years of research Becker enjoyed the support of the textile experts at both the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musee Historique des Tissues in Lyon. His work was recognized as an important resource for both textile conservators and advanced textile students and he was urged to publish his research. Pattern and Loom is a source of information which not only gives an extensive historical account of the development of patterned woven textiles in East and West, but also gives detailed graphic illustrations

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and analyzes the methods used in weaving. As well, the visual characteristics of the various fabrics are described and documented through photographs. Pattern and Loom thus functions as a textile handbook and encyclopedia and it succeeds in linking a visual vocabulary for textiles to the technical aspects of the weaving process itself.

Decker's introductory chapter in Pattern and Loom briefly discusses the function of the handloom and the handweavers method for making drafts. A more comprehensive list of signatures for the complicated weaves, including colour keys denoting the various functions of warp and weft, and other symbols indicating types of heddles and methods of tying up the loom, are also included here. Becker organizes his other information in five sections and twelve chapters, according to weaving techniques as they occurred historically in specific geographical areas.

In the first section Becker accounts for the patterned weaves of Han China (206 BC - 220 AD). These include the monochrome weaves, the gauze weaves and the polychrome weaves of this era. His research is based on descriptions of textile finds by historians, Vivi Sylvan, Xia Nai and Harold Bumham.2

The low, transversally symmetrical, repeat patterns, characteristic of these weaves, suggested to Becker that they could be woven with relatively simple equipment and, as already mentioned, he was able to execute them without the use of a drawloom. He used a harnessloom supplied with pattern heddle rods and wove these extremely fine warp- decorated fabrics according to his own 2/2 method. This method is described in detail in this section of the manuscript, which also includes a list of Chinese terms for the ancient weaves.

Next Becker deals with the patterned weaves of Western Asia, and discusses their dissimilarities with those used in China.

He addresses himself to the relationship between the availability of raw material and the development of weaving methods; for example, he hypothesizes that the early Persians, who had no access to silk, spun their flax and wool fibres into yarns of less smooth surfaces which were more suitable for the creations of weft patterns.

These patterns are typified in Taquete, a weft-faced compound tabby, and Samitum, a weft-faced compound twill, and Becker describes these through a series of examples and reconstructions of 3rd century

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Persian textiles from the collection of the Musee Historique des Tissus, and other Byzantine textiles preserved in European church treasuries.

Despite their differences, Becker sets up one visual criterion for fabrics woven according to both techniques:

The warp can never be seen, the weft alone creates the pattern.

Becker next describes another early technical development in the patterned weaves of the Mediterranean region. These include Lampas, double-faced weft-weaves and patterned double cloth. For these techniques, Becker points out that although the pattern is still primarily derived from the weft, the warps, unlike those of Taquete and Samitum, enter visually into the structure. The true Lampas is distinguished by its alternating single and double-layered surfaces.

The double-faced weft-weaves are presented primarily through examples from the Spanish royal tombs in Burgos,^- It is presumed that this technique was invented by the Hispano Mooresque weavers during the 12th century, and later spread throughout Europe. The examples shown include a number of Scandinavian weavings.

A discussion of damask concludes Section three in Pattern and Loom . Becker traces this technique back to Syria before the year 200 AD, and he describes and analyzes early 6th century Syrian examples of damask woven in the drawloom with twills as basic weaves. He points out that there was very little evidence that this technique was used for several centuries until it reappeared in Italy - now with a satin as the basic weave. From Italy it spread to Northern Europe where it was adopted for linen weaving.

Damask is Becker's great interest and in this chapter he gives an account of the versatility of this technique, explaining how it accommodates the use of both fine and coarse materials. Thus, it is useful in the weaving of figurative contemporary art fabrics.

In Section four of Pattern and Loom, Becker returns to China. This time to the woven production of the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 AD). He emphasizes the importance of the silk road in the exchange of both material goods and technological information between East and West. He acknowledges how the Tang silkweavers, who knew and practiced all advanced weaving techniques known at this time, benefitted from this exchange.

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Examples of weaving in this chapter include Tang silk banners from the collection of the Musee Guimet, Paris,4 which illustrate a variety of Chinese damask techniques.

In the final chapters of Pattern and Loom, Becker summarizes the logical rather than historical sequence of the development of mechanical patterning. He includes detailed descriptions of weave implements, from the simplest pick-up rods to Joseph Marie Jacquard's revolutionary loom of c. 1 820. He defines the differences between the Chinese and Persian drawloom and gives an account of the development of the latter loom-type which prepares the reader for a very detailed account of his own drawloom. Becker built and uses this drawloom in his studio and in his teaching in the School of Arts, Crafts and Design. He supplies measurements, workdrawings and thorough explanations for the conversion of a countermarch loom into a practical drawloom which is suitable for contemporary work.

Finally, the book's comprehensive bibliography and excellent index are useful tools for both weavers and textile historians.

The artistic production of John Becker

We are now in a position to appreciate how Becker has utilized his knowledge of ancient weaving styles and techniques. Already early in his career John Becker recognized that the woven patterns, which are derived through the construction of the weaves, rather than being decorative elements applied to a surface, were the discriminating visual elements which characterized the woven form and separated it from that of other art media. It is the exploitation of this idea which underpins and unifies the Beckers' studio productions, as it has also spurred his interest in the historical aspects of fabric construction. His interest in pattern is evident in a series of flatwoven tapestry rugs, designed and executed beginning in the 1950s and continuing throughout the 70s.

The '60s rug Domino (Fig. 1) is a heavy weft-faced fabric. The blue, brown, black and white wollen wefts cover the linen warp and form overall patterns of zig-zag and diamond figures. The method of patterning in this rug is determined by hand manipulation, and illustrates one way of developing a patterned weave. The various weft sections slowly progress and regress in diagonal directions in a weft by weft routine, as the weaving proceeds, to finally constitute the desired design. The durability of this rug, which is an important quality for a utilitarian item, is ensured by the heavy quality of the fabric as well as

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this method of patterning which avoids vertical slits. The rug can be classified as a contemporary adaptation of a universal technique which includes also the Anatolian Kelim and the Indian Navaho blanket.

The earlier period of production in the '50s and '60s includes other very different patterned fabrics as well. These can be distinguished from the rug just discussed, both by their quality and the method by which their patterns were formulated. These fine linens are balanced weaves, broadly speaking; and, contrary to the rug, the patterns in these linens were derived through mechanical means.

The damask De.Fire Verdensdele (The Four Continents), (Fig. 2) typifies John Decker's interest in making use of historical sources. The inspiration for this design was taken from a 17th century napkin5 which has for its theme representations of men, beasts, and flora from Europe, Asia, Africa and America. Motifs of this kind were also to be found in 17th century Verdura tapestries. John Becker adopted the central motif of the napkin for the Jacquard loom and it is the capacity of this loom which determined the overall composition of this linen tablecloth. The transversally symmetrical pattern unit (62 cm x 30 cm) repeats three times in warp direction. The cloth is completed by surrounding plain borders.

Another Jacquard-woven adaptation of an historical fabric Hornehaandklaedet (Fig. 3), is in the same vein. This piece, in half- bleached and indigo linen, was derived from a typical striped fabric presumably woven in Perugia, Italy, between 1300 and 1600.6

Becker also executed a number of contemporary Jacquard-woven fabrics during his career. These include both chasubles and utilitarian patterned fabrics such as table linens, as well as prototypes for manufacture by industry. Whether executed as part of the Beckers' studio productions, in short runs of fabric lengths, or in more liberal quantities by industrial means, these fabrics share in style by being limited to the restrictions of the Jacquard machine, and the necessity of designing in fixed repeatable pattern units.

The Becker productions of the '50s and '60s were, generally speaking, fine fabrics meant for general use. As such, these pieces had been conceived as products for which the Beckers had calculated a market, and many editions of popular items were produced during these years. They continued to receive commissions for rugs, however, and thus were turning out individual unique items as well.

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During the '60s and '70s the Beckers received a number of commissions form both historical and contemporary churches for special textiles. These assignments, differing from anything they had previously produced, radically changed the way they worked. Among the historical churches were parish, manor and also the small chapel belonging to the celebrated Elsinore Castle. These churches, although they still serve their traditional function, have now become important national treasures. Since World War II many of them have been placed under the auspices of the Danish National Museum for restoration purposes. Several of these churches are of medieval origin with frescoes and elaborately carved and painted furnishings. There were a wide variety of these decorations, including heraldic symbols, narrative subjects and naturalistic motifs. These had been covered with coats of whitewash during the reformation in the 1500s and, indeed, many times since. During the past thirty years many of these interiors have been restored to their original state, and the ancient works of art once again became important visual components in these interiors. Because of their delicacy and subdued coloration a need to complement them with new but harmonious textile accessories, such as altar frontals, chasubles and rugs, arose. The Beckers were amongst those weavers who were commissioned to design and execute such works. The new textiles fell into two categories. Firstly, there are one-of-a-kind pieces for the frontals and short series of repeated designs for the chasubles. Because they had to be viewed at a distance, three-dimensional effects, colour contrasts and distinct structural characteristics became important considerations in their design. Secondly, the altar frontals were to be fixed permanent installations, thus emphasizing their function as art fabrics. These were designed to interact with the architectural environment as well as other existing artifacts.

Made to be worn, the chasubles fall into different categories. Of these each church would own several. Some basic elements for their crea - tion were certain colours such as gold, white, red, violet and green which marked the various celebrations within the church calendar. Of these Becker wove short series of twos and threes, and on occasion even more.

Although Becker was never particularly interested in symbolism, some of these commissions required the use of Christian symbolism in their design. These had to be styled and interpreted to suit both techni - que and composition.

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Becker decided that the requirements of both categories were best met by the use of drawloom methods; this loom, through its semi- mechanical patterning capacity, allowed for a free but relatively efficient articulation of motif and design in the woven fabric. The drawloom was also sufficiently flexible that the use of coarse or multi­ plied yarns was possible in both warp and weft, and thus, the three- dimensional characteristics of the fabric could be emphasized.

As a result, John Becker intensified his research on the history of patterned fabrics, in particular those woven on the drawloom; and he designed and constructed a simplified loom of this type in order to execute these ceremonial textiles.

It was the indigenous woven quality of the motifs in the old textiles, characterized by both the limitations and the facilities of this weaving technique, which commanded his interest. The pictorial surfaces were created by alternating warp and weft-faced structures, each containing a visible basic weave; also the process of weaving itself, crossing warp with weft at right angles, was expressed as a fundamental grid on which the overall designs were based.

Becker concluded that these characteristics should be the primary reference for his own woven work. Although Becker designs his fabrics as contemporary textiles, it is this structural tradition on which they are founded rather than the surface pattern tradition of any other art form; and it is this adherence to the traditional form that best characterizes the Beckers' style of work, and separates it from that of other contemporary weavers who have used similar techniques.

For example, the Becker altar frontal, woven in 1973 and installed in the rural Ullerup parish church (Fig. 4), demonstrates his approach. It decorates a delicate altar piece, which in vertical sequence narrates the passion of Christ. This primarily red, grey-blue and gold altar piece is framed by ornamental lace-like carvings in white and gold. The otherwise neutral interior features only a few white painted furnishings with accents of sienna red. Becker chose to weave the frontal in a brocaded drawloom damask and he used the design and textural possibilities made available by this technique in the interpretation and stylization of the repeating design units.

The composition stresses the weft elements of the woven structure which become vertical once the piece is hung, and thus the eye is led upwards towards the altar piece. Graceful, less dominant horizontal bands feature stylized leaf motifs arranged in an organized

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overlapping pattern sequence. The sienna red, buff, grey and gold textile is woven entirely in linen and gold thread, and thus it has both the weight and the necessary solidity to act visually as a foundation for the ornate altar piece placed above it. In spite of the use of differing materials and modes of ornamentation, the altar piece and the frontal succeed in forming a whole in terms of composition.

Another altar frontal (1976), woven in a brocaded drawloom damask, was placed in the Romanesque (later rebuilt) Ryde manor church. The newly restored interior of this small church also contains a Renaissance altar piece along with richly decorated furnishings, including a variety of contemporary pews.

Like the Ullerup frontal, this one stresses the weft as the dominant compositional element. Here it forms a rhythmical striped background upon which two horizontal bands of geometric net-like motifs are imposed. Two units composed of brocaded diamond figures are placed in the center and repeated close to the four corners of the frontal section of the textile which faces the nave. They thus serve as a unifying element based on repetition against the background of stripes. The fabric is woven primarily in twisted and untwisted gold threads which cause the light to reflect in different directions. The alternating reflective qualities of the metallic threads enrich and soften the rigidity of the geometric design.

These two textiles, by employing both curvelinear and geometric elements, as well as hand-manipulated brocade inlays to build up and vary certain weft areas, illustrate the flexibility of the drawloom. At the same time the stylization and method of employing repeats clearly reflects the other aspect of drawloom weaving, that is, the semi- mechanical patterning capacity which allows for a pattern to be pre- counted, and information to be stored in the drawing mechanism for repeated use. The loom provides constraints and these are reflected in the design of both the Becker textiles and the historical ones.

Being aware of the relationships between the capacity of the equipment and the process of weaving as partly determining the compositional outcome of the woven piece, one can appreciate why Becker's own contemporary work stylistically shares some characteristics with the ancient drawloom fabrics. His profound understanding of the medium, however, provides him with the necessary information to compose with great originality, and to exploit the structural possibilities of the weave. His use of thick multi-plied yarns for his wefts cause long flotations within the enlarged weave structures, and,

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thus, whilst observing the necessary rules for weaving a durable fabric, he visually emphasizes both the lustrous qualities of the yarn and the indigenous woven qualities of these two damask frontals.

In the 1973 altar frontal De Fire Elementer (The Four Elements), (Fig. 5), woven for S011er0d Kirke, both technique and type of motif differ from those of the previously described pieces. Because figurative motifs were involved, Becker chose a modified tapestry technique which is a hand-manipulated technique and, therefore, relatively slow; yet it allows for more variety in design because it does not rely on mechanically controlled patterning facilities.

This frontal is composed of eight intersecting circular elements arranged in a horizontal manner. Four of these contain stylized representations of the four elements: a fish on a wavy background, a tree surrounded by flower-like ornaments, a bird with star forms and an ornamental arrangement of flame motifs. As well, these four circles contain delicate cruciforms woven in a raised weave, so they appear to be imposed on the underlying ornamentation. A more prominent cruciform marks the center of this textile. Thick linear elements, utilizing the weft structure, bisect the remaining circles and thinner lines fill out the background between the circles, thus dividing the entire textile into four distinct areas.

The composition in this very beautiful textile is well ordered, and its intrinsic character is strictly maintained through the geometric interpretation and stylization of the various motifs to fit the woven structure. The systematic arrangement of all other ornamental figura - tion further emphasizes this quality.

Gold and reds are the colouration of this low-relief tapestry which utilizes a twill weave for the raised areas and a tabby for the low areas. A continuous thin tabby weft, sometimes hidden and at other times interacting in the design, ties the otherwise separate weft surfaces together.

I have already noted that the chasubles were rarely created for specific environments. An exception, however, is the Praestebo chasuble which was designed for Johannes Exner's church, built during the 1960s.

The austere whitewashed interior of this church, which contains a centrally placed altar under a circular overhead light source, presented special design considerations for the chasuble. Because of the quality of the light, the use of metallic thread proved unsuitable. Also the

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simplicity of the interior demanded that the textile create a strong decorative accent with a rustic character.

As he had done before, John Becker chose the brocaded drawloom damask for this textile and utilized the mechanical pattern possibilities of this technique which allows for both repetition and improvisation. It is these qualities that are clearly reflected in the design of this rustic wool and linen textile. A mosaic arrangement of rectangular elements forms a repeating pattern across the woven surface, while a central circular portion, symbolizing Christian luminosity, is emphasized through the insertion of very light wefts.

This textile illustrates the versatility of the drawloom damask technique. Here, because both a chromatic and structural pattern is used to achieve the entire design. The colour pattern is derived through brocading, that is, the insertion of additional discontinued wefts of various colours, and these from the circular motif as well as a vague cruciform within another structural pattern. The structural "checkerboard pattern" on the other hand, is woven with a continuous weft and uses the loom's ability to weave in mechanically controlled repeat patterns.

Conclusion: the technical expertise of John Becker

Becker's production as a practicing weaver has been remarkable for the range of techniques it has employed - harness weaving, Jacquard weaving, drawloom weaving and tapestry. Becker has given careful thought to the technical possibilities presented by the main methods of weaving and has always striven to achieve a close harmony of function, technique (and hence structure) and decorative form. His effort in this direction has always been informed by his scholarly knowledge of the history of weaving. Emphasizing traditional techniques and decora - tive styles, Becker has produced work which is contemporary in feel and inspiration, whilst preserving its integrity as the product of an ancient craft.

The blend of tradition and innovation which I have identified in Becker's artistic production is more likely to be apparent to the trained weaver and historian of weaving than to the lay person, who is bound to see Becker's work as modern. The opposite is true in the case of Becker's historical work. Reconstructing ancient looms and retrieving lost techniques, Becker has set out to faithfully reproduce ancient fabrics. But it is no exaggeration to say that it is the same technical mastery and feeling for tradition, which has now made

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Becker an innovative historian, which was earlier responsible for the originality and aesthetic strength of his art production. In Backer's case, technical expertise has been a fruitful source of inspiration for artistic creativity. Indeed, more generally, this blend between techni - que and innovation may be said to characterize the best of all artistic production.

Endnotes

1. Donald B. Wagner holds degrees in mathematics and Chinese. He is presently engaged in research on the history of technology of China.

2. Sylvan, Vivi, Investigation of silk from Edsen - Gol and Lop - Nor: and a survey of wool and vegetable materials, (reports from the Scientific expedition to the North-western provinces of China under the leadership of Dr. Sven Hedin - the Sino-Swedish expedition). Publication 32, Stockholm, 1949 (as quoted by Becker).

3. Gomez-Moreno, "El Panteon real de las Huelgas de Burgos", Consejo Superior de Investigationes Cientificas, Institute Diego Velazques, Madrid, 1946 (as quoted by Becker).

4. Vial Gabriel, "Tissus de Touen Houang", Riboud, Krishna, Paris, 1970 (as quoted by Becker).

5. From the collection of Kobmandsmuseet, Aarhus, Denmark.

6. Mygdahl, Elna, "On Textiomamenternes Levetid", National-museets Arbejdsmark, Copenhagen, 1934.

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References

"Anni Albers: On Weaving", Wesleyan University Press.

Burnham, Harold B., "Technical Aspects of the Warpfaced Compound of the Han Dynasty", CIETA 22: 25 - 45,1965.

Gomez-Moreno, "El Panteon Real de las Huelgas de Burgos", Consejo Superior de Investigationes Cientificas, Instituto Diego Velasques, 1946.

Murphy, John, "A Treatise on the Art of Weaving: with calculations and tables for the use of manufacturers", Blackie and Son, Glasgow, 1948.

Mygdahl, Elna, "On Textilornamenternes Levetid", Nationalmuseets Arbejdsmark, Copenhagen, 1934.

Phister, R., "Le Role de L'lran dans les Textiles d'Antinoe", A.I. 13/14, 1948.

Sylvan, Vivi, Investigation of silk from Edsen - Gol and Lop - Nor: and a survey of wool and vegetable materials, (reports from the Scientific expedition to the North-western provinces of China under the leadership of Dr. Sven Hedin - the Sino-Swedish expedition). Publication 32, Stockholm, 1949.

Vial, Gabriel, "Tissus de Touen Houang", Riboud, Krishna, Paris, 1970.

Xia Nai, "Kaoguxue he kejishi", (essays in the Archaeology of Science and Technology). Beijing, 1979, (English summary).

6221 Coburg Road Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1Z8

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Figure 1. The '60s rug Domino

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Figure 2. De Fire Verdensdele

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Figure 3. Hornehaandklaedet

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Figure 4. Altar frontal, woven by Becker in 1973

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Lii

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