Printed Calico 1938

Marie Lutrell created this printed calico design, using watercolor and graphite, sometime in the 20th century. Lutrell likely made this artwork as a sample for textiles, a design to be printed on cotton cloth. The organic pattern in red, gold, and black, has a dense, almost coral-like feel. The texture looks hand-worked, not flat and mass-produced. The appearance is influenced by the processes of textile production, like weaving, dyeing, and printing, which have a long history of skilled labor and global trade. You can imagine a factory or workshop, where artisans and machines would transfer a design onto fabric in repeating patterns. What is interesting here, is that this textile design can be seen as both art and craft. It blurs the boundaries between the two, and forces us to consider the labor and traditions behind what we wear, and how that has been historically valued. Luttrell's textile design reminds us that clothing and other textiles have their own aesthetic value, and often a story about social dynamics embedded in their making.