Susanna E. Lewis (1938 – July 15, 2021) was an American fiber artist, teacher and author known for her contributions to the Art to Wear movement.[1][2]
Susanna E. Lewis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1938 |
| Died | July 15, 2021 Monroe, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Fiber Artist |
| Years active | 1970s–1980s |
| Movement | Art to Wear |
Biography and Work
editThe daughter of an Army Air Forces officer,[3] Lewis received a BA from University of Michigan and an MA from the Teachers College of Columbia University. She later attended the Pratt Institute.[4]
Lewis was active in Art to Wear movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Inspired by Mary Walker Phillips she bought a knitting machine (the Passap Duomatic 5) in 1971[5] and taught herself, beginning to create hangings and garments in the late 1970s. She is known for her highly decorated textile wearable pieces, a direction she was encouraged to take by Julie Schafler Dale, her gallerist.[3][4] For instance, the Moth Cape represented a nightmare, "wherein a feeling of death enveloped her like the wings of a giant moth".[1] The weight and shape of the piece meant the wearer could share that experience.
Lewis was also an author of knitting books, and contributor to knitting magazines,[6] including A Machine Knitter’s Guide To Creating Fabrics (with Julia Weissman), considered foundational to the craft,[2] and Knitting lace. She taught at Parsons School of Design about machine knitting in the 1980s.[7]
Collections and exhibitions
editLewis' work can be found in the collections of:
References
edit- ^ a b "Capturing your life, stitch by stitch: The art to wear movement on display at Philly art museum". WHYY. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Off the wall : American art to wear. Dilys Blum, Mary Schoeser, Julie Schafler Dale, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Philadelphia, PA. 2019. ISBN 978-0-87633-291-7. OCLC 1107150573.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b Saenger, Peter (November 1, 2019). "When Art Was Made to Be Worn". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Julie Schafler Dale on Susanna Lewis - bonus video from STORYTELLERS episode, retrieved August 30, 2021
- ^ Dale, Julie Schafler (1986). Art to wear. Otto Stupakoff (1st ed.). New York: Abbeville Press. ISBN 0-89659-664-8. OCLC 13761146.
- ^ June 7, --Deb on; Classics, 2010 in; How-To; Lace; Books, Pattern; Dictionaries, Stitch (June 8, 2010). "Review: Knitting Lace". Knitting Scholar. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Playing with Texture". Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Oz Socks". philamuseum.org. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Ensemble, 1977, Susanna Lewis". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
