Wall Paper 1935 - 1942

Editor: We're looking at Benjamin Resnick's "Wall Paper," created between 1935 and 1942, made with watercolor on paper. It strikes me as surprisingly calm, given its repeating pattern. What's your take? Curator: The seeming calmness might belie the socio-political contexts of that era. The pattern-and-decoration movement, though visually appealing, served as a powerful counter-narrative to the male-dominated abstract expressionism of the time. Does the piece remind you of feminist art? Editor: Not immediately, no, but I see where you're going. Was this movement aiming to subvert traditional hierarchies within the art world by embracing "domestic" or "decorative" forms? Curator: Exactly! Consider how the rigid grid structure might be subverted through its ornamentation, or consider how traditionally “feminine” arts of design can be inserted to redefine masculinity or male/female dichotomy. How might Resnick be making a statement about domestic labor and its perceived value through this piece? Think about who designs wallpapers and who usually applies them? Editor: So it's not *just* pretty; it’s a commentary on the gendering of art and labor, challenging the idea that "high art" is inherently more valuable than decorative arts. Curator: Precisely. By taking this domestic art, and rendering it in watercolour, is he highlighting it or transforming it? Editor: That's really given me a new lens through which to view seemingly simple designs. Thanks! Curator: And it shows us how art can participate in deconstructing deeply rooted prejudices about craft, gender and labour.