Winning

Emma Amos, Winning, 1982, acrylic on linen with hand-woven fabric, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 2019.15, © 1982, Ryan Lee Gallery, New York
Emma Amos, Winning, 1982, acrylic on linen with hand-woven fabric, 75 × 64 in. (190.5 × 162.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Catherine Walden Myer Fund, 2019.15, © 1982, Ryan Lee Gallery, New York

Artwork Details

Title
Winning
Artist
Date
1982
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
75 × 64 in. (190.5 × 162.6 cm)
Copyright
© 1982, Ryan Lee Gallery, New York
Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Catherine Walden Myer Fund
Mediums Description
acrylic on linen with hand-woven fabric
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure female — full length
Object Number
2019.15

Artwork Description

I've just always loved yarn. I've loved paint. I've loved anything that could rely on color or just line.
--Emma Amos

Emma Amos threaded the fleeting moments of her everyday life as a Black woman into poignant artworks. Winning is a snapshot of the moment a leaping woman becomes airborne. The exultant figure, made of a patchwork of woven swatches, threads, and ribbons, celebrates Amos's commitment to fiber art even as she gained widespread recognition for her paintings and prints.

From 1961 to 1973 she worked for famed textile designer Dorothy Liebes, and in the 1970s she taught weaving at Threadbare Unlimited in Greenwich Village and the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art. Amos even produced the Boston public television program Show of Hands about crafts. Winning is more than just a moment: it indicates Amos's deliberate leap to elevate women's work in her art. 

Works by this artist (1 item)

Alicia Eggert, This Present Moment, 2019-2020, neon, custom controller, steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Renwick General Acquisitions Fund, 2021.4, © 2019, Alicia Eggert
This Present Moment
Date2019-2020
neon, custom controller, steel
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

Claire Falkenstein, City is Man, 1941-1952, linocut, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.14, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
City is Man
Date1941-1952
linocut
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Untitled
Date1976
embossed paper
Not on view
Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
Mandala
Date1977
lithograph
Not on view
Nathan Oliveira, Site with Blue and White, 1978, monotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.14
Site with Blue and White
Date1978
monotype
Not on view