Printed Cotton c. 1937

This printed cotton artwork was made by Julie C. Brush, who lived from 1855 to 1995. I see a deep purple background sprinkled with little snowflakes, creating the ground for some bolder floral motifs in creams and teals. I wonder if Julie was thinking about the natural world, or the decorative arts, as she set about making this pattern? Look at how those teal shapes, contained within the creamy white, make little gestures toward the center of the flower. They almost seem to be pulling the whole thing together with their curved lines. Julie was part of an ongoing tradition of artists translating the world around them into patterns and designs, inviting us into a shared visual experience. What conversations do you think artists have with one another across the ages?