Anni Albers: A Life in Thread

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Janet Lee

Alex Harding

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BBC Four - Anni Albers: A Life in Thread

How the Bauhaus unintentionally created the world's greatest textiles artist.

Documentary. How Walter Gropius's decision to relegate Anni Albers to the weaving class of the Bauhaus created the greatest textiles artist the world has ever known.

Anni Albers enrolled in 1922 at the legendary Bauhaus school with hopes of becoming a painter. However, its founder feared that too many women might damage his new school’s reputation so Anni and the majority of female applicants were swiftly funnelled into the weaving class and workshop.

This film documents Anni’s rise and the turbulent final years of the Bauhaus when Anni was forced to flee Germany due to her Jewish heritage and start a new life in America. She went on to become the undisputed leader in her field, but while her husband Josef Albers’ paintings saw him become one of the world’s most famous living artists, Anni’s textiles were always side-lined as a feminine craft. She has since been recognised as a great artist.

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