Twee decoratieve ontwerpen 1874 - 1945

This pair of decorative designs were made by Carel Adolph Lion Cachet with pencil and watercolor on graph paper. The artist worked in the decorative arts and was also a bookbinder, so it is fitting that we see him working in the medium of design. Graph paper is a mass-produced material used for planning and precision. The artist used it as an important component in his design, making it central to the piece itself. You can still see the grid lines underneath the layers of watercolor washes. The nature of the design process is laid bare in the final image: the design process, planning, and labor that goes into art making. This piece asks us to consider whether design can be viewed as high art.