Thread Painting

‘Not only is this a visually luscious book of Ptolemy Mann’s work, it makes a fascinating – and timely – contribution to the ongoing debate about the relationship of art and textiles.’ — Alice Rawsthorn, author of Design as an Attitude.

‘[Ptolemy Mann] has been creating textile works of extraordinary colour and vibrancy for nearly 30 years. In 2021, after a period of experimenting with painting on paper, she turned her brush to her painstakingly dyed and handwoven cloths – the striking results can be seen in Mann’s first monograph, Thread Painting.’ — Killian Fox, the Guardian

British artist Ptolemy Mann’s studio practice bridges weaving and painting, creating distinctive, refined and radiant wall-based work, often on a large scale. Her early work was focused on weaving, and she then turned to painting on paper, later combining the two to paint directly onto her hand-woven artworks.

Focusing on the past decade, Thread Painting features over 140 stunning full-color images of these three phases in Mann’s artistic career, and is her first published monograph. Thread Painting includes written contributions from Ann Coxon, curator of international art at Tate Modern, and Chloë Ashby, arts critic and author. A conversation between Mann and childhood friend, artist and stage designer Es Devlin sheds light on Mann’s early influences and her meticulous process.

Thread Painting is a celebration of Mann’s unique work during a fascinating decade of artistic output, exploring the relationships between dye, thread, paper, paint and time.