Asistencia of San Antonio de Pala Wall Design from the portfolio of "Decorative Art of Spanish California" 1935 - 1942

This wall design from Asistencia of San Antonio de Pala, part of a portfolio called "Decorative Art of Spanish California", has an anonymous maker and a kind of quiet, meditative presence. The colours are muted – pale blues, creams, and browns – and the shapes are both geometric and organic. I love the way the artist has used colour and shape to create depth and movement. Look at the circular form, its lines thick and thin, holding space for the little brown leaves and the creamy interior shape. The surface of the paper is mottled, so you can see the age in it, the tooth of the paper coming through like a memory. The colours have a graphic clarity, like a screenprint, but they are soft at the same time. It reminds me a bit of the work of Hilma af Klint, or even Agnes Martin – this idea of a kind of pared-down, spiritual geometry. It's a beautiful example of how art can be both decorative and deeply meaningful. The way that art is always in conversation, a constant exchange of ideas, across time.