Wall Paper c. 1937

Vincent Burzy made this "Wall Paper" design with what looks like watercolor and pencil sometime in the 20th century. It's a design that repeats, like a sample for actual wallpaper, and in it, you see the careful mark-making, the layering of colors, and how the artist worked through the problem of creating something repetitive but also visually engaging. The surface has a delicacy, and you can almost feel the grain of the paper. I am struck by the blue diamond shape at the bottom, which anchors the design. It’s a solid color against the wispy golds and whites of the floral elements. The artist doesn’t hide the process; instead, the layers and the slight imperfections of the hand-drawn lines give it a warm, human quality. It makes me think of the pattern paintings of artists like Joyce Kozloff or Robert Kushner, who embraced decoration as a valid and important form of expression. In the end, art is all about having a conversation, whether it’s with the materials, the process, or other artists across time.