Coverlet c. 1936

William Hoffman made this watercolor and graphite work, Coverlet, sometime during his lifetime. It’s a study for a larger piece, maybe? You can see the artist working out ideas, using the paper like a sketch book. The color is amazing - red and blue mostly, with a kind of neutral ground that gives the eye a place to rest. I really admire the way Hoffman embraced the process of artmaking, letting each mark be visible. There are all these tiny marks, each one separate, and together they build up the design, like a mosaic or a pointillist painting. Look closely at the roses at the top, how the red is built up with these small hatches. There’s something so human about seeing the evidence of the hand, it’s not trying to be smooth or perfect. It reminds me a little of the work of contemporary pattern painters like Joyce Kozloff, who are also interested in folk art and textile design. I love that art is like an ongoing conversation between people, ideas and images.