Valance for Tester c. 1940

Charlotte Angus made this "Valance for Tester" sometime in the 20th century. I can imagine her, scissors in hand, carefully cutting out shapes from colorful fabrics—a green garland, and red ribbons. She’s building up the image, layering, adjusting, and refining. There is something very pleasing about the repetition of forms and the bright colours against the neutral background. What’s also interesting is that Angus is working on paper but thinking about cloth. The image might be a suggestion or sketch for making a real textile valance. I feel like she’s playing with the tension between the flat surface of the paper and the three-dimensionality of fabric. I wonder if Angus had seen the work of Matisse and his cut outs when she made this. Artists are always inspiring each other, adding their own twist to the conversation. We can see this work as part of an ongoing dialogue about form, color, and the creative process itself.