Carpet Bag 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a carpet bag, was made by Clementine Fossek. Look at how the image is built up from these orderly lines of colour, it's almost like a weaving or knitting pattern transferred to paper. I'm drawn to the way Fossek carefully renders the texture, you can almost feel the fabric of the bag. The colours are bright and cheerful, with a mix of red, yellow, and blue stripes that create a sense of movement. The small square up in the corner seems to be a close up of the bag's pattern, a bit like a painter's colour chart, testing out a motif. That little square is also interesting formally, the main part of the image depicts the bag in 3D, with a clear attempt to describe its shape and form, whereas the square sits flush to the surface, flattened out. This contrast opens up a space of play in the image, where Fossek is happy to use different modes of representation within the same composition. It reminds me of some of the ways David Hockney plays with perspective. Ultimately, it highlights how seeing is a form of construction.