Ruth Reeves
Encyclopedia
Ruth Marie Reeves was a painter, Art Deco
textile design
er and expert on Indian handicrafts She attended the Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn
from 1910-11, and won a Art Students League's scholarship in 1913. In 1920, she travelled to Paris and studied with Fernand Léger
.
Returning to the United States in 1927, her designs were influenced by modern developments in France like Cubism
.Lewis Mumford
called her wall hangings and dresses inspired by traditional Guatemala
n designs shown in 1935 "probably the most interesting work any designer has offered for commercial production today."
One of her best known works was the carpetting and wall fabrics of Radio City Music Hall
in New York
. The Index of American Design, one of three main divisions of the Federal Art Project
was originally conceived by Reeves and Romana Javitz, and Reeves became its national supervisor in January 1936.
After 1956, she lived in India, where she served on the All-India Handicrafts Board. She died in New Delhi
in 1966.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
textile design
Textile design
Textile design is the process of creating designs and structures for knitted, woven, non-woven or embellishments of fabrics.Textile designing involves producing patterns for cloth used in clothing, household textiles and decorative textiles such as carpets. The field encompasses the actual pattern...
er and expert on Indian handicrafts She attended the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
from 1910-11, and won a Art Students League's scholarship in 1913. In 1920, she travelled to Paris and studied with Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
.
Returning to the United States in 1927, her designs were influenced by modern developments in France like Cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
.Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford
Lewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
called her wall hangings and dresses inspired by traditional Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n designs shown in 1935 "probably the most interesting work any designer has offered for commercial production today."
One of her best known works was the carpetting and wall fabrics of Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The Index of American Design, one of three main divisions of the Federal Art Project
Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project was the visual arts arm of the Great Depression-era New Deal Works Progress Administration Federal One program in the United States. It operated from August 29, 1935, until June 30, 1943. Reputed to have created more than 200,000 separate works, FAP artists created...
was originally conceived by Reeves and Romana Javitz, and Reeves became its national supervisor in January 1936.
After 1956, she lived in India, where she served on the All-India Handicrafts Board. She died in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in 1966.