Printed Textile c. 1940

Joseph Lubrano made this printed textile with flowers and scrolls, don't know when! The palette of pale yellows, reds, and creams feels calm, like the artist might have wanted to evoke a warm summer breeze. Those flowers almost appear to be emerging from the fabric itself. I wonder what it was like for Lubrano, coaxing these shapes out of the material, shifting and adjusting the pattern until it felt right. Look at the way the red scroll curls around each motif. Each one feels slightly different and has its own character! It makes me think of Agnes Martin and her screen prints and how they are all so similar yet so different! Textile design is an amazing conversation between artists across time; it is beautiful, intimate, and useful! It's a reminder that art can be part of our everyday lives, not just something we see in a museum.