About this artwork
Designer Ben Rose based this textile on formline art made by Tlingit communities in Ketchikan, Alaska, south of Juneau. Rose sought out patterns that audiences in other parts of the United States might have been less familiar with. He then transformed them into fabrics that could be used widely in furnishings and fashion. Because these motifs were appropriated by a non-Native artist for non-Native use, they became divorced from their rich meanings and histories in Indigenous communities. Here, Rose may have been inspired by objects similar to this làkt or bentwood box by James Johnson (Tlingit, Ch’áak’Dakl’aweidi Clan).
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Artists
- Ben Rose (Designer) , Ben Rose, Inc. (Producer)
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Title
- Ketchikan (Furnishing Fabric)
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Places
- Chicago (Object made in), Illinois (Object made in), United States (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1983
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Medium
- Polyester, plain weave; screen printed
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Dimensions
- 90.8 × 127.7 cm (35 3/4 × 50 1/4 in.); Repeat: 29.9 × 25.4 cm (11 3/4 × 10 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Rose
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Reference Number
- 1995.90.18
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.
