Corncockle Possibly 1883 - 1925

Editor: We’re looking at "Corncockle," a textile by William Morris, likely made between 1883 and 1925. It's currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s intricate and visually dense. I’m struck by how the patterns both repeat and vary, creating a sense of organised chaos. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: Precisely. Note how Morris employs contrasting colours and rhythmic forms to establish visual structure. The strategic arrangement of floral motifs creates layers of interconnected shapes and lines, resulting in a visually complex and decorative scheme. Notice also that the texture gives rhythm by employing changes between blue, pink and green colours with geometric design in negative spaces Editor: That’s interesting, what’s your reaction to Morris’s pattern? Curator: I find that Morris's success comes not merely from accurate botanical observation, but in how he employs geometric principles to arrange the organic forms. It has a very flattened picture plane, with only a vague sense of overlapping in selected motifs to imply three-dimensional space. What effect do you believe the flatness has on its aesthetic properties? Editor: I guess that compression emphasises the overall design rather than attempting to mimic naturalism. And that decorative quality certainly jumps out. It seems the design promotes art for everyday use. Curator: Indeed. What we learn from closely reading this weaving is its capacity to elevate ordinary articles with its geometric language, which carries great appeal to the formalist. Editor: So, focusing on composition and form reveals so much about Morris’s intentions and how the piece functions aesthetically. Curator: Precisely, a fruitful study indeed!