Head Pad c. 1937

John Wilkes made this ‘Head Pad’ sometime in the 17th century, probably using watercolor and graphite on paper. Imagine Wilkes hunched over this drawing, carefully outlining each triangle and spike, building up a design that's both intricate and…well, a little goofy! I can feel the artist's hand in this work; the precision of the geometry, the obsessive detail of the hatch marks, the gentle color palette. The contrasting colors and patterns speak to an artist exploring the endless possibilities of variation within a simple form. You sense Wilkes puzzling over the relationships of color and shape, trying to get each one just right. It's like he's saying, “Look at this, isn't pattern amazing?” This piece reminds me of the work of contemporary pattern painters like, say, Joyce Kozloff, who also find endless inspiration in ornamentation and design. And it makes you wonder: where did Wilkes see things like this? What other pads did he draw? Artists, we’re all just magpies, picking up shiny bits of the world and turning them into something new.