Art Deco Hooked Rug (attrib. Ralph Pearson)
An explosive pattern of stunning beauty distinguishes this finely worked Art Deco Hooked Rug. Notably, Art Deco and Modernist patterns rarely appear in this medium. During the Colonial Revival period, Ralph Pearson pioneered a small artisanal production, believing hooked rugs provided an ideal canvas for Modernist design. Subsequently, Pearson taught at Elverhoj, a community dedicated to the Arts & Crafts philosophy, where he encouraged artists to express their creativity through applied arts.
In the early 1920s, Pearson established the New England Guild, a design workshop in Portland, Maine. Soon after, he began producing hooked rugs designed by local professional artists. Furthermore, his New York headquarters gave him access to numerous artists and architects who created some of the period’s most significant works.
This exceptional example achieves remarkable dynamism through the masterful use of the hooked technique. By weaving contrasting densities with clever colorations, the artist creates a three-dimensional composition of sublime character. Moreover, the pattern’s centrifugal energy evokes the futuristic vision of artists like Umberto Boccioni (‘The City Rises’, 1910) and the frantic rhythms of cinematic masterpieces such as Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ (1927). Both of these works convey the incessantly driving pulse characteristic of Modernism.