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 (4 items)

Peter Danko, Unfolding Chair, ca. 1981, maple plywood and nylon, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph N. Raffa, 1997.119.1
Unfolding Chair
Dateca. 1981
maple plywood and nylon
On view
Peter Danko, Unfolding Chair, ca. 1981, laminated, scored and folded maple and polyester, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Joseph N. Raffa, 1997.119.2
Unfolding Chair
Dateca. 1981
laminated, scored and folded maple and polyester
On view
Peter Danko, Molded Plywood Chair, 1978, oak plywood and fabric, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lloyd E. Herman, founding director and director emeritus of the Renwick Gallery (1971-1986), in honor of Michael W. Monroe, Curator-in-Charge, Renwick Gallery, 1986-1995, upon the occasion of his retirement, 1995.83
Molded Plywood Chair
Date1978
oak plywood and fabric
Not on view
Peter Danko, Harry's Desk, 1982, walnut, white oak, and leather, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Harry K. Schwartz, 1997.13
Harry’s Desk
Date1982
walnut, white oak, and leather
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

Thomas Moran, Goose Creek, Sheridan (Wyoming), 1892, pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. William Henry Holmes, 1947.13.2
Goose Creek, Sheridan (Wyoming)
Date1892
pencil on paper
Not on view
William Zorach, Study for Man's Awareness, n.d., pencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dahlov Ipcar and Tessim Zorach, 1968.154.377
Study for Man’s Awareness
Daten.d.
pencil on paper
Not on view