Winter/Lake Biwa

Textiles

2001

Michael Rohde (American, born 1943)
Westlake Village, California, United States

Winter/Lake Biwa is one of four works by Michael Rohde inspired by the seasons in Japan. It belongs to a larger group of weavings that Rohde calls “textile tapestries,” which are based on designs from other cultures with strong weaving traditions, such as Peruvian tunics and Diné (Navajo) blankets. This composition references the shape of a kimono, the T-shaped garment that is a symbol of Japanese identity.

Rohde states that his practice explores the interaction of colors and geometry. He begins each new work by hand dyeing the wool yarns he uses for both the foundation of the weaving and the supplementary, or decorative, wefts.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Textiles

Artist: Michael Rohde
Title: Winter/Lake Biwa
Place: California (Object made in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Made 2001
Medium: Linen and wool; weft resist dyed (ikat), plain weave with complementary wefts and supplementary brocading wefts
Inscriptions: Winter/Lake Biwa-2001 / 59” x 48” / Michael F. Rohde (printed on rectangular cloth label sewn on reverse, bottom left corner)
Dimensions: 156.6 × 121.8 cm (60 1/2 × 48 in.)
Credit Line: Nicole Williams Contemporary Textile Fund
Reference Number: 2004.75

Christa C. Mayer Thurman, Contemporary Fiber Art, A Selection from the Permanent Collection, exh. cat. (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2010), 8 (ill.). [limited printing]

Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney and Agnes Allerton Textile Galleries, Contemporary Fiber Art, A Selection from the Permanent Collection, Nov. 3, 2010-May 8, 2011.
Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth F. Cheney Textile Galleries, Threaded Visions: Contemporary Weavings from the Collection, Feb. 24-Aug. 26, 2024, no cat.

With Gail Martin Gallery, New York, by Jan. 27, 2004 [incoming receipt RX24336, Jan. 27, 2004; invoice, object no. M1204, Feb. 23, 2004; copy in curatorial object file]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2004.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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