Barbro Nilsson's Energetic River Horse Tapestries by Danskmobelkunst

BARBRO NILSSON’S

ENERGETIC RIVER HORSE TAPESTRIES

Swedish textile artist Barbro Nilsson was a leading figure in the field of 20th century Nordic textile design. For nearly three decades, she held the position as artistic director at the MMF workshop, managing the legacy of Märta Måås-Fjetterström’s work, but also tasked with further developing the studio and creating new compositions. With a profound knowledge of the art of weaving, a strong sense of colours and high-quality materials, Nilsson pushed the boundaries of what was possible in rug and tapestry weaving. Her landmark series of six tapestries, designed for the Swedish hydropower company Sydsvenska Kraft AB in 1966, is considered to be her principal work and stands as one of the finest handcrafted accomplishments of mid-20th century Nordic textile art.

SOLEN THE SUN 1966

Provenance: Sydsvenska Kraft AB, Sweden Signed: AB MMF BN Labelled: Woven at Barbro Nilsson’s Studio Norra Smedjegatan 21, Sthlm, by Edith Johansson, Marie-Lise Brack and Christina Lindmark Mixed thread, tapestry weave 242 x 110 cm

In 1966, the studio was commissioned to produce a series of tapestries for the new headquarters of Sydsvenska Kraft AB, one of Sweden’s largest hydropower companies, located in Malmö. Nilsson chose a mythological theme from Swedish folk art, the river horse known as Bäckahästen, a mythological figure that also appears in the imagery of her predecessor. In an article in the energy company’s in-house magazine Nilsson explaned why she had chosen this figure as her motif:

“In local people’s imagination the mists over the rivers of Skåne took the form of a mythical figure, the horse known as Bäckahästen, that gallops over the landscape – through AIR, CLOUDS and RAIN, through the SLOWLY RUNNING WATER, through RAPIDS and WATERFALLS to the SEA. The water provides STEAM POWER. The flowing water is converted into electric power that is distributed to the industry through the ELECTRIC GRID and regulated by SWITCHES. Six of the seven tapestries are in colours that form part of the SPECTRUM. These are colours that appear when the rays of the sun, the source of all natural forces, are refracted through the rain. The rain provides water to rivers and rapids. The colours of the seventh tapestry are inspired by the blue hues of the air, the clouds and the sea.”

ÅAR - SAKTA RINNANDE VATTEN RIVERS - SLOW RUNNING WATER 1966

The tapestries were designed as a linked series with the Bäckahäst as a recurring motif and symbol of natural forces, vigorously galloping through the whole series, where as the use of different base colours in each tapestry symbolize the different aspects of water produced energy. Nilsson designed the six tapestries to be hung in a particular order to tell the story of water-turned-into-energy. From left to right the tapestries are titled and represent Solen (the Sun), Åar (Rivers), Forsar (Waterfalls), Ångan (Steam), Atomkraftverk (Nuclear power) and Linjenätet (The electric grid). The corresponding base colours are from left to right: yellow, green, blue, purple, red and orange. Once again, Nilsson’s colour palette is vibrant and subtle, further enhancing the patterns visual texture. She created a refined interplay of colours ensuring that the base colour of each tapestry had hues pointing towards the next colour of the spectrum. Thus, the yellow tapestry has hints of green; the green has elements of blue; the blue contains purple hues, etc. In each tapestry the horses are placed differently, moving in different directions and positioned to further illustrate the particular aspect of energy represented.

FORSAR - FORSANDA VATTEN WATERFALLS - RAPID WATER 1966

Provenance: Sydsvenska Kraft AB, Sweden Signed: AB MMF BN Labelled: Woven at Barbro Nilsson’s Studio ’Smedjebo’ i Lerberget by Maren Hemmingsson and Kristina Andersson Mixed thread, tapestry weave 248 x 110 cm

Barbro Nilsson in her studio in Lerberget in 1964, with precurser to the Sydsvenska tapestries. Photographed by her son Pål-Nils Nilsson. From ’En Bok om Barbro Nilsson’

ÅNGAN - ÅNGKRAFTEN STEAM - STEAM POWER 1966

Provenance: Sydsvenska Kraft AB, Sweden Signed: AB MMF BN Labelled: Woven at Barbro Nilsson’s Studio ’Smedjebo’ i Lerberget by Maren Hemmingsson Mixed thread, tapestry weave 240 x 112 cm

A label on the back of each tapestry states where it was woven and by whom, thus recognizing the indispensable role of the craftswomen who created them. The tapestries were all woven in Barbro Nilsson’s own workshop in Stockholm, where many of her weaving assistants were former students from Konstfack who shared her values and commitment to quality that distinguishes the handicraft tradition. “I wish to see my patterns created by highly skilled people, and I make demands on their discernment and co-responsibility. This is how the creations are filled with life and warmth”, Barbro Nilsson once said.

ATOMKRAFTVERK NUCLEAR POWER 1966

Provenance: Sydsvenska Kraft AB, Sweden Signed: AB MMF BN Labelled: Woven at Barbro Nilsson’s Studio N:A Smedjegatan 21Stockholm by Edith Johansson, Marie-Lise Brack, Veronica Rontsch and Christina Lindmark Mixed thread, tapestry weave 247 x 109 cm

The tapestries were demanding to weave and required patiently executed detail work. Nilsson combined different techniques pushing the boundaries of what was possible in tapestry weaving. While some of the tapestries (yellow, blue, red, orange) were woven using traditional tapestry techniques, others were woven in one-direction, as flat weave rugs, but with the tapestry technique of picking the wefts by hand – making it easier to weave in freer forms – and with the method of packing the wefts with a small handheld implement, instead of using the loom’s batten to push the woven threads together. These are subtle technical differences, only visible if you look closely, but they testify to Nilsson’s profound knowledge of the art of weaving and her innovative and experimental approach.

LINJENÄTET THE ELECTRICAL GRID 1966

Provenance: Sydsvenska Kraft AB, Sweden Signed: AB MMF BN Labelled: Woven at Barbro Nilsson’s Studio N:A Smedjegatan 21Sthlm by Edith Johansson, Marie-Lise Brack, Veronica Rontsch and Christina Lindmark Mixed thread, tapestry weave 245 x 110 cm

Technically audacious and visually stunning, this series of seven tapestries is considered to be a principal work in Nilsson’s career, as well as a principal work in Nordic textile art, enlarging and renewing the Nordic weaving tradition. The series displays all the qualities and central themes that characterize Nilsson’s work throughout her career; the inspiration from nature and Scandinavian folk art, the zigzag patterns that were introduced with the design Tånga (Seaweed), the variations on the motifs of sun and stars and - not least - the artful colour combinations and experimental approach to weaving techniques. The series has been described as the textile equivalent of a symphony with its various movements and explorations of themes and techniques. It cemented Nilsson’s status as one of the foremost Nordic textile artists of the 20th century who successfully managed to develop the pioneering artistic program of the Märta Måås-Fjetterström workshop and attain its position as the epicentre of 20th century Nordic textile art.

Barbro Nilsson photographed outside her studio

litterature Whidden, Anne: “Barbro Nilsson’s Energetic Horses”, theswedishrugblog (published 28/05/2017); www.theswedishrugblog.wordpress.com, retrieved 09/06/2022 Lundquist, Pia: ”Barbro Nilsson”, Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (published 18/03/2018); www.skbl.se/sv/artikel/BarbroNilsson, retrieved 09/06/2022 Märta Måås-Fjetterström, Märta flyger igen! 90 år med Märta Måås-Fjetterström. Exhibtion catalogue, Liljevalchs Konsthall, 2009. Møller, Viggo Sten: En bok om Barbro Nilsson, Bokförlaget Trevi, Stockholm, 1977

Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery Aldersrogade 6C DK - 2100 Copenhagen Denmark +45 3332 3837 info@dmk.dk www.dmk.dk photography: Dansk Møbelkunst copyright: Dansk Møbelkunst 2022