Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

Mourning

A work made of silk, plain weave, pleated; appliquéd with layers of silk, plain weaves, some resist dyed, some printed, some dyed; embroidered with silk; blocked.
© 1989 Michael Olszewski.

Image actions

  • A work made of silk, plain weave, pleated; appliquéd with layers of silk, plain weaves, some resist dyed, some printed, some dyed; embroidered with silk; blocked.

Date:

1989

Artist:

Michael Olszewski (American, b. 1950)
United States

About this artwork

Olszewski’s textile constructions, for the most part, evoke emotional turnoil resulting from his life, such as the deaths of parents and friends and his long-term struggle with personal identity. the works in this group were made from 1989 to 2012, and there is a remarkable consistency of purpose and focus among them, despite technical adjustments made over time. Mourning, the earliest in the group, acknowledges the toll taken by the declining health of the artist’s father, who died a few years after the work was created. In Olszewski’s language of symbols, the curved motif evokes an emotional would and the horizontal stripes suggest the lines of the journal kept by the artist.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Michael Olszewski

Title

Mourning

Place

United States (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 1989

Medium

Silk, plain weave, pleated; appliquéd with layers of silk, plain weaves, some resist dyed, some printed, some dyed; embroidered with silk; blocked

Dimensions

74.6 × 94.1 × 5.4 cm (29 3/8 × 37 1/16 × 2 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by the Textile Society

Reference Number

2013.61

Copyright

© 1989 Michael Olszewski.

Extended information about this artwork

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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share