COLORS: Burnt orange, pumpkin, golden orange, rust, black, golden yellow, and chartreuse.
SIZE: 48″ wide + 3″ left hand selvedge (where “Gusher” is printed) and 5″ right hand selvedge x 28.25″ long
FIBER: 100% linen.
PRINTING: Hand screen printed using 6 screens.
CONDITION: Superior!
MY RECOMMENDATION: I recommend having this piece stretched on a frame for Mid Century art by a trusted art professional. For long-term preservation purposes, always hang it away from direct sun.
MAKER: Westgate Fabrics goes back to the mid 19th century, roughly the 1860s, long focusing on high-end decorator fabrics for the interior design market. They were acquired in the 1990s by Home Furnishing International and Home Fashions International (HFI) and decided to rebrand entirely under the Westgate name.
*No exact date is on this piece and we are dating it based on key factors (Westgate did not operate after 1990 for example). But based on its style, tag, original price, and subject matter, we believe our dating of this piece to be correct.
1960s “Gusher” Westgate Fabrics Sample
Answering the age old question, “What do I get the roughneck in my life?,” this rare and visually amazing late 1950s/early 1960s* Petroliana piece titled “Gusher,” from Texas-based Westgate Fabrics, offers awesome Mid Century design along with visual commentary on industrial era fossil fuel energy.
The central focus is an oil derrick that hit pay dirt, gushing its prize “black gold.” Similar derricks dot the background of a roughly developed, sun-baked oilfield holding the promise of wealth and hardscrabble conditions in equal measure.
In its day, this fabric was never actually stocked, but was only run as a custom print (hand screen printed with 6 screens) and only available in limited runs starting at 20 yards — less than that required a $60 art set up. All orders required pre-payment, and required a minimum 2-week printing time.
We surmise this was originally designed with oil executive offices in mind given its niche subject matter.
This is an extremely rare find and a striking piece of Mid Century art in its own right, and stunning as fabric and textiles history. Add to that its extremely unusual subject matter and this is a really special piece. Especially exciting for petroliana collectors.
The original custom order tag (attached to the piece) warns buyers that since it’s a custom run each time, they can’t guarantee color matches, but, on the plus side, they could run it in other colors than that which is shown. Finally, they didn’t guarantee the fabric for upholstery (probably figuring that the screen print would take too much wear from double-rubs). It was recommended for drapery.
1 in stock
