Textile, On the Hook

Charley Harper’s artwork has remained so perpetually relevant that designer Todd Oldham revived his designs in 2001, six years before the American modernist artist’s death. New glassware, fiberglass trays, and home textiles featuring Harper’s work can still be purchased at specialty retailers such as Fishs Eddy in New York.
Harper, who would go on to illustrate The Golden Book of Biology in 1961, created a single textile design for Associated American Artists in 1953. He brought his eye for distilling nature to its essential components, rendering slate-gray fish caught on white lines, a wavy horizon line suggesting mauve water below and pale gray sky above. The sun, a simple yellow dot, is reflected the centers of small white flowers.
In April 1954, Esquire featured illustrations of a trio of beachwear styles for children and adults designed by California Casualaire. The clothing was available in three fabrics, including On the Hook. (1)
(1) Karen J. Herbaugh, “Index of AAA Textile Designs,” in Art for Every Home: An Illustrated Index of Associated American Artists Prints, Ceramics, and Textile Designs (Manhattan: Marianna Kistler Beach Museum, Kansas State University, 2016), http://hdl.handle.net/2097/19686.

Textile, On the Hook; Designed by Charles Harper (American, 1922 - 2007); Produced by Associated American Artists (United States); cotton; H x W: 90.2 × 248.9 cm (35 1/2 in. × 8 ft. 2 in.); American Textile History Museum Collection; 2016-35-23