Free Hand Decorated Wall c. 1940

Michael Lauretano’s ‘Free Hand Decorated Wall’, made at an unknown date, presents a fluid approach to design as a process. The color palette consists of neutral tones punctuated by bursts of coral and dark brown. It’s a study in how to make something decorative, but slightly off-kilter. The work has a very tangible texture, you can almost feel the way the brush might have moved across the surface. The paint application looks pretty direct, unpretentious even. Look at the way the leaves curl, or how the eagle’s feathers are rendered with simple flicks of the brush. These kinds of details are really charming to me. They’re not trying to be perfect, but instead embrace the handmade quality of the work. It reminds me a bit of Henri Rousseau, with the way he depicted lush landscapes in a naive style. Lauretano's work embraces ambiguity and invites multiple interpretations. It’s more about the feel and the vibe than any fixed meaning.