Section of Mat c. 1935

Editor: Today we are looking at “Section of Mat”, made around 1935 by Mary Berner. It appears to be colored pencil and maybe watercolor on paper, depicting exactly what the title says: a section of a woven mat. The texture is what grabs me first – all those tiny, carefully rendered lines. It feels so tactile, almost begging to be touched. What strikes you about this drawing? Curator: Well, isn't it interesting how such a seemingly simple subject, a fragment of a mat, can hold so much? It’s as if Berner isn’t just showing us a physical object, but also inviting us to contemplate the labor, the time, and the quiet dedication embedded in the craft itself. Notice how she hasn’t chosen some grand landscape or dramatic portrait, but something utterly domestic and familiar. Do you think there’s a statement being made here about the value of the everyday? Editor: I can see that. Elevating the ordinary... It definitely shifts my perspective. The repeated pattern also makes me think about the industrial design or modernism – but something handmade feels so opposite. Is that tension intentional, do you think? Curator: I'm sure of it. Berner presents you with something meticulously hand-rendered that mimics a mass-produced pattern, disrupting our easy understanding. This isn't just replication; she’s deeply internalizing the essence of the design, meditating on the interplay between art and craft, the handmade and the machine-made. It is like a love letter to textiles, with abstraction softly expressed through the warmth of color. Don't you think? Editor: Definitely. It's making me consider all the hidden artistic intention that goes into so many designs that get overlooked! This was enlightening – I'm so glad we took a closer look. Curator: Likewise, that's the great thing about art; it keeps inviting you into deeper appreciation for beauty, especially in the simplest things.