Valance for Tester c. 1940

This “Valance for Tester” was made by Charlotte Angus, using watercolor and graphite. What grabs me is the graphic simplicity of the work – the way the shapes are laid out, and how the colours play with each other. It’s almost like a pattern, and you can imagine Angus making a quilt from this design. The texture of the paper gives the painting a tactile quality, like you could reach out and touch it. The red and green are so vibrant against the off-white background. The red reminds me of hearts, and the green a garland, the way the elements come together speaks to Angus’ attention to detail. The shapes themselves feel bold and immediate, which is interesting, they seem so sure, but still, there’s a playful quality to the work. It makes me think of someone like Christina Ramberg, with her interest in patterns. But really, art’s an ongoing conversation, right?