Stair Carpet c. 1939

Arthur G. Merkley’s ‘Stair Carpet’—I don’t know when exactly it was made—features blocks of colour with lots of pinks, reds, and browns. I can imagine Merkley working away at this thing, carefully choosing each colour to create a soft but slightly jarring composition. What was he thinking about as he applied each colour? Did he have a specific place in mind for this imagined carpet? I can imagine him trying to think about the ways people move through space, how each colour might impact someone walking up or down the stairs. The texture looks rough, not something you would want to walk on barefoot. But maybe that’s the point? Maybe Merkley was trying to create a kind of obstacle, something to make people stop and think for a moment before continuing on their way. Painting, like art, is about possibilities. Each colour choice is a step on a staircase. Painting and weaving—it's all just one conversation, isn’t it?