Bedspread c. 1941

Arlene Perkins made this bedspread with what looks like watercolor and graphite on paper. The process is front and center. The texture of the paper comes through the thin washes of color. It’s a dance between control and letting the medium do its thing. It's not trying to trick you into thinking it's a real bedspread! There's a patch of pink roses and green leaves—a little world contained in each flower. And the repetition of these motifs creates a rhythm, like a song you can almost hum. This piece reminds me of the work of Mary Delany and her paper mosaicks. Both artists share an interest in the relationship between decorative and fine art. They suggest that art is an ongoing conversation. It's about embracing ambiguity, those in-between spaces where meaning isn't fixed but flows and changes.