Coverlet c. 1937

This coverlet design was made by Barnes, probably with gouache or watercolor, in shades of indigo and white. I imagine them, bent over the page, patiently building up these intricate layers. It's easy to get lost in the hypnotic pattern of the floral center, encased by a diamond of dark blue. The shapes are repeated and mirrored, creating a feeling of balance and repetition that speaks to the traditions of craft and design. But there is also something very personal and intimate about the drawing. The artist, whose practice extended across decades, appears to have been thinking about how we can create beauty and order out of chaos through repetition, patience and a single-minded focus. Painters are always in conversation with each other, across time, and across genres, whether we know it or not. Like Agnes Martin, Barnes seems to be asking: how can we find meaning and connection through abstraction and repetition? How can we create beauty out of simple forms?