Wall Paper Border c. 1937

This ‘Wall Paper Border’ was made with paint on paper by Alfonso Umana. Can you imagine Umana carefully laying down each stripe, each flourish, meticulously crafting a pattern meant to adorn a room? It's kind of cool, right? All those tiny repeated shapes, a whole world in miniature. The red is so vibrant, a real statement. But then, there's this grounding effect from the earthier tones, the browns, the yellows. I'm thinking about how Umana’s hand moved as he made it. The precision, the control. I see this repeated motif along the red stripe. Are they flowers, or heraldic symbols? There’s a touch of folk art, too. Thinking about the artist’s hand brings the pattern alive. It's about craft, the touch, the way the artist’s body informs the work. It reminds me that even the most functional art is made by an artist just trying to make something beautiful.