An interview of Marianne Strengell conducted 1982 January 8-1982 December 16, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Strengell speaks of colleagues and students at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, including Eliel and Loja Saarinen, Charles Eames, Florence Knoll, and Harry Bertoia. She also speaks of her training in hand weaving in Helsinki; her interest in texture and new materials; the rejection of vogue in Scandinavia in the 1930s for folk art motifs; her close association with the Saarinen family at Cranbrook and in Finland; and her work with industry, 1940s-1970s.
Biographical / Historical:
Marianne Strengell (1909-1998) was a weaver, textile designer, and educator.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on-line at the Archives of American Art's website.
Occupation:
Weavers -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Educators -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Search this
Textile designers -- Massachusetts -- Interviews Search this
