Hand Painted Wall (Detail) c. 1939

Martin Partyka made this hand painted wall detail, at an unknown date, using paint on paper. Look at how the artist balances a limited color palette of salmon, white, blue, and red with the repetitive pattern. I love how the forms become secondary to the way the paint is applied. Up close you can see the thin, opaque paint and brush marks. In fact, there’s a dark, almost-black outline around many of the shapes which really flattens the design. This gives the entire piece a wonderful sense of texture. See how the white curvy lines create the structure of a loose, almost wobbly grid. I feel like it’s the kind of thing you could stare at for hours and get lost in the rhythm of the pattern. This work reminds me of the wallpapers of William Morris, though somehow much more free. The entire image feels like a testament to the enduring power of pattern and the artist's own unique process.