Wall Paper Border c. 1936

Curator: Here we have "Wall Paper Border," a watercolor drawing dating back to around 1936, crafted by George Robin. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Well, first off, the vivid green against the creamy paper really pops. It evokes a feeling of art deco elegance but in a very subdued way. Curator: Indeed. Robin was clearly working within the established decorative vocabulary of the era, echoing forms common in textile and interior design. Think about the burgeoning middle class, the democratization of style, and the influence of mass production. Wallpapers like these were aspirational, speaking to notions of good taste and modern living. Editor: I see that, but the flower motifs...they almost seem sun-like, too. The radiating lines from the center evoke solar imagery to me, a suggestion of life and renewal, even within an otherwise mass-produced element of interior design. Curator: That’s an interesting read. These kinds of floral patterns are obviously referencing nature, but in a highly stylized way. Think about the cultural impulse to domesticate nature, to bring it into the home in a controlled and aesthetically pleasing form. This border speaks to the sanitization of nature. Editor: But does the regularity take something away? It reminds me a bit of mandalas or rosaries in their iterative designs, objects meant to bring peace but here made ordinary. Curator: Its repetitious nature also indicates mass producibility, designed to adorn walls, framing daily lives in homes striving for modern middle-class comforts. One has to remember the socio-economic situation then, these would be appealing design for modern family households, that want to show progression and design. Editor: Agreed, and yet the human touch is still evident, is it not? The slight variations in the watercolors give each 'sun' its own character. It stops it being an absolute clone of any other and shows creativity and subtle freedom. Curator: Absolutely. Looking at this wall paper border now really highlights design as an emblem of society, which adds complexity. Editor: Indeed, and it's in this complexity that the border retains a surprising visual interest.