National Spinning shipping boxes of yesteryear live on in Rauschenberg’s timeless art

Photography and digital image © The Menil Collection. Not for reproduction or publication.

Many people are familiar with the work of noted artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925 to 2008). But how many know National Spinning’s yarn boxes were used in one of his celebrated pieces?

The work of art pictured above, titled “National Spinning,” is a three-dimensional object/sculpture created by the artist in 1971 of cardboard, wood, string, and steel. The dimensions are 100 x 98.5 x 8.5”. The work is currently on view in an exhibition called Precarious at the Menil Collection in Houston, TX. “National Spinning” has previously been exhibited at the Menil, Museu Serralves in Porto, Portugal, Haus Der Kunst in Munich, Germany and MADRE in Naples, Italy. In addition, it has been on view in Menil’s permanent collection galleries from time to time since its acquisition. This adds up to many, many views by eyes around the world.

We are pleased to have had the artist notice our boxes and re-purpose them for his intriguing and thought-provoking art.  National Spinning Co., Inc., an employee-owned company, is pleased to continue producing beautiful, functional, and timeless yarns for domestic and export markets, as we have since 1921. We hope you will consider our yarns for your needs and smile in recognition when you see our name of the wall of a gallery one day.  Thank you for visiting our website.