Bedspread c. 1936

E. Boyd made this watercolour and graphite ‘Bedspread’ sometime between 1875 and 1995. It's not just an image of a textile, but a map of the artist’s hand, how they moved and felt. You can see the process in the little imperfections. The colours are muted; a gentle blue, brown and an off white give the impression of a soft, worn object. There’s something lovely in the imperfections of the zigzags, the small bleeds and inconsistencies in the colour, they give the piece an intimate feel. The layering of colour feels light and airy, like an early morning mist. The zigzags and the wave patterns are reminiscent of Matisse’s cut outs. This work reminds us that art is a constant conversation, a dialogue across time and artists. Ultimately, it’s the ambiguity, the multiple interpretations, that make art so compelling.