Pattern and decoration

Pattern and decoration can be found in every aspect of our lives and we often overlook it because of its familiarity. Not many people realize that there was actually an art movement in the mid 70's that began as a response to the stark impersonality of Minimal and Post Minimal art. The movement also represented a defense of the idea that decorative art is a humanizing influence and should not be regarded as inferior to ‘fine’ art. Certainly nothing has really changed and this debate continues today resulting in many artists feeling apologetic when their art enters into the "decoration" domain.

As you may have predicted most of the artists involved in the P & D movement were women (it was the mid seventies and feminist concerns were rampant). Two well known female artists whose names were connected to this movement were Joyce Kozloff and Miriam Schapiro. Interestingly enough when you look at their work from the 70"s and compare it to their most current work you will see similarities.

Joyce Kozloff

Tile Wainscott

1979-81

"Pattern and Decoration, An Ideal Vision"

Hudson River Museum

Joyce Kozloff loved visually rich objects ((I totally identify with this.) and was fascinated with the elaborate patterns of Islamic art. She appreciated art of other countries that was rich and sensuous and created through careful attention to detail. Her paintings have a bold, geometrical structure with an intricate texture of line and strokes on the surface which drew viewers close to the work. Her hope was to break down the hierarchies between high and decorative arts and between primitive and sophisticated cultures.

Miriam Schapiro
American, born 1923
Kimono , 1976
Collage and acrylic on canvas, 60" x 50"
Gift of Jane Roseberry Tolleson '52

MiriamSchiparo is a painter and collage artist who trained at the State University of Iowa and was a teacher at several colleges and universities. Her early work was Abstract Expressionist, but she then turned to a hard-edged geometrical style. Her later works are large, dynamic collages that she calls ‘femmages', made up of buttons, sequins, pieces of embroidery, and other materials from the history of women's ‘covert’ art.

Several men also were involved in the Pattern and Decoration movement. My all time favourite is Robert Kushner, who has defied art trends since that time and has carved out a productive art career creating work that is strongly influenced by this movement. He deserves a post of his own!

The Pattern and Decoration Movement was merely a blip on the radar of the art world, but it did exist and the reasons why it was popular at that time, as well as how it is related to work created today interests me greatly. This style of work correlates well with the only" art training" I had. In it all I think there is an answer to my need to include decorative elements in my work and why my heart quickens when I see elaborate decorative designs.

My teenage years were spent learning the "female arts' from my mother and grandmother; I sewed, knitted, learned to crochet and embroider, I hooked rugs, I even designed clothes. I loved wallpaper, fabrics, and wrapping paper. Pattern and decoration were a huge part of my life. Many of the motifs found on decorative items are derived from the natural world and are reduced to flat two dimensional designs. I often include subtle decorative patterns in my work as a reminder of the connection between culture and nature.

Gains and Losses (2006) mixed media on canvas 12 x 22 in.