Homespun Cotton Textile c. 1937

This "Homespun Cotton Textile" was created by Percival Jenner, a long time ago. Imagine Jenner hunched over, carefully dabbing the paper with that saturated red. It's almost hypnotic, this field of repeating motifs. I wonder what Jenner was thinking as they made it? Maybe lost in the rhythm, the meditative quality of repetition. There's something comforting in the neat rows of tiny shapes, like a garden seen from above or a dance performance. The red is really working here, giving the sensation of warmth. It makes me think about other artists working with pattern like Gustav Klimt, or even the op art of Bridget Riley. I can almost hear the hum of the printing press, see the bolts of fabric rolling out, ready to be made into something new. Each one of those marks reminds me of the labor and care that goes into the making of art, whether on canvas or cloth. They are all in conversation with each other.