Bandbox Design c. 1937

Martin Partyka made this design for a bandbox – a light cardboard box for carrying hats and accessories – using paint, and probably a real sense of fun. I really feel for Partyka here, imagining him hunched over this thing, trying to get the perspective right on those buildings, the lines of firefighters, the whole shebang. I think he’s saying, “How can I make something decorative, but also kinda real?” He isn’t afraid to just go for it with the color. That blue! It's like a stage set, right? And look how he varies the thickness of the paint to give the forms weight. I love how the smoke from the fire is made up of these chunky swirls of brown. What would it be like if we saw the world this way? Everything outlined, popping with saturated hues. Partyka and other artists have this ongoing conversation, this game of visual telephone. They are saying things like, “Hey, look what I found!” “Oh yeah? Check this out!” And that’s how art keeps evolving, right? Each new voice builds on what came before, changing the story just a little bit.