Rosette 1938

Max Fernekes made this watercolor, "Rosette," around 1930, and when I look at it, I think about ornamentation, you know? What does it mean to embellish something? It starts with a deep brown palette, then the concentric rings, and the almost gothic-looking leaves that curl outwards... I imagine Fernekes painstakingly layering each stroke, building the form petal by petal, watching it emerge from the blank paper. The watercolor feels thin, almost transparent, allowing light to pass through the layers of pigment. It reminds me of architectural drawings, blueprints, and ornamental details. The artist seems engaged in a dialogue with history, echoing the work of pattern makers or textile designers. Each artwork becomes part of a continuous, evolving process, with everyone drawing inspiration from the past, responding to the present, and imagining new possibilities for the future.