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Clear Head Clear Vision

A thematic look at the textile designer Frances Burke
by
January–February 2022, no. 439

Frances Burke: Designer of modern textiles by Nanette Carter and Robyn Oswald-Jacobs

Miegunyah Press, $69.99 hb, 231 pp

Clear Head Clear Vision

A thematic look at the textile designer Frances Burke
by
January–February 2022, no. 439

Frances Burke (1904–94) was the leading textile designer in Melbourne from the 1940s to the 1960s. Her modernist furnishing fabrics, preferred by architects, interior designers, department stores, and homemakers, were popular in domestic and commercial interiors, and her reputation was national. Her design skills were complemented by a good head for business and her command of all aspects of production, distribution, and marketing. The distinctive style of her textile designs is neatly summarised by the authors of this splendid volume: ‘ A single, bright colour and clean, simple linework printed on quality cotton or linen made Frances Burke’s designs modern in style, instantly identifiable and very appealing.’ Burke’s wide-ranging design sources included flora and fauna, indigenous and exotic themes, as illustrated in a selection of her titles: Canna Leaf, Tiger Lily, Seapiece, Totem, Rangga, Pacifica and Moresque.

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