Reflections

Cynthia Schira, Reflections, 1982, woven and bound resist-dyed cotton and dyed rayon, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the James Renwick Alliance and Roberta Golding, 1985.29A-D
Cynthia Schira, Reflections, 1982, woven and bound resist-dyed cotton and dyed rayon, overall: 95151 in. (241.3383.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the James Renwick Alliance and Roberta Golding, 1985.29A-D

Artwork Details

Title
Reflections
Date
1982
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
overall: 95151 in. (241.3383.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible in part by the James Renwick Alliance and Roberta Golding
Mediums Description
woven and bound resist-dyed cotton and dyed rayon
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — phenomenon — light
  • Abstract
Object Number
1985.29A-D

Artwork Description

When I started working from what I really loved, from the land, then my work became stronger because it was more honest.
--Cynthia Schira

The ethereal surface of Reflections is created by the added wefts (the horizontal threads) to form nonstructural surface patterning and twining, a technique in which two or more strands of the weft continuously twist around the warp (the vertical threads). The delicate sheen of the subtly dyed first layer conjures a misty atmosphere. The horizontal orientation suggests the flatness of the artist's Kansas environment.
Cynthia Schira fuses the essence of a landscape within the structure of her fiber works. She uses the woven materials to affect the perception of the work, rendering aspects of both her medium and subject invisible and creating an ease between the two. Her works poetically evoke deep feelings related to a place.

Works by this artist (3 items)

Cynthia Schira, Table/Cloth, 1998, handwoven linen and cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist in memory of Patti Zoppetti, 2000.17
Table/​Cloth
Date1998
handwoven linen and cotton
Not on view
Cynthia Schira, Reflections, 1982, woven and bound resist-dyed cotton and dyed rayon, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the James Renwick Alliance and Roberta Golding, 1985.29A-D
Reflections
Date1982
woven and bound resist-dyed cotton and dyed rayon
Not on view
Lake Summer
Date1991
woven and painted linen, rayon, and mixed fibers
Not on view

Exhibitions

Media - 2019.15 - SAAM-2019.15_1 - 137377
Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women
May 31, 2024January 5, 2025
The artists in Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women mastered and subverted the everyday materials of cotton, felt, and wool to create deeply personal artworks.

More Artworks from the Collection

Jack Lenor Larsen, Remoulade, 1956, linen, cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, nylon, and metallic threads, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1983.103, © 1956, Jack Lenor larsen, Inc.
Remoulade
Date1956
linen, cotton, rayon, silk, wool, jute, nylon, and metallic threads
Not on view