Art Deco Floral Panel c. 1930

This Art Deco Floral Panel, now at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, feels like a pattern that grew wild, an anonymous creation bursting with rhythm. It’s so alive, you could almost imagine it breathing. Look at how the blues of the background push up against the yellows and creams of the flowers! The artist lets the materials—whatever they may be—do their thing. There's a real understanding here of artmaking as a process. The surface is richly textured, almost begging to be touched. Notice how each leaf and petal is defined by a multitude of tiny stitches? It’s as if each one is an individual mark, adding to this intense visual hum. It makes me think of Hilma af Klint, another artist who used pattern and repetition to create a sense of otherworldly beauty. Ultimately, this panel isn’t about perfection; it's about the joy of seeing something bloom.