Wall Paper c. 1937

John Garay created this wallpaper design with gouache on paper. You can see the pale peach of the paper peeking through, glowing beneath the design. I love that each fleur-de-lis, in its blue-grey tonal scale, is slightly different, as if Garay painted each one individually with great care. The way the floral elements connect diagonally reminds me of climbing ivy, or even veins, connecting one organ to the next, or one thought to another. I can imagine Garay sitting, patiently, in his studio, trying again and again, letting the idea of the wallpaper gradually appear. The design is like a conversation between abstraction and representation, where the organic and geometric forms meet in a delicate, rhythmic dance. It’s not just about seeing, but about feeling the subtle shifts in texture, color, and form. And how this simple pattern invites us to consider the nature of repetition, variation, and the beauty of handmade imperfections. It reminds me of the work of contemporary artists like Laura Owens, who play with similar ideas of pattern, surface, and the handmade.