Printed Textile c. 1938

This printed textile was made by Ralph M. Lewis, possibly in the late twentieth century, using colored inks on paper. I can imagine Lewis at his desk meticulously inking the grid, block by block, in alternating shades of brown and blue-green. Look at how the colors are not quite uniform, and the fine lines within each square that give a kind of texture. What's interesting is how the even geometry is undermined by the irregularities of the handmade. The textile appears to undulate slightly in an attempt to defy the grid format. This piece connects to the wider world of pattern and design, where repetition meets variation. Think of the quilts made by the women of Gee's Bend, where a regular format of the grid enables experimentation and improvisation. Artists learn from other artists, and even the simplest piece can be the start of a long conversation.