Peacock Cabin Decoration 1935 - 1942

This "Peacock Cabin Decoration" was made by Flora Merchant, but we don’t know exactly when. What strikes me is the way the image seems to emerge from the surface. The colors are muted, almost monochromatic, like a memory. It feels like Merchant is feeling her way through the forms. Look closely, and you can see the artist's hand in the delicate, feathery strokes that make up the peacock's plumage. Each mark is carefully placed, building up the image layer by layer. The texture is smooth, but with subtle variations in tone that create a sense of depth and movement. The whole effect is dreamlike, otherworldly. You know, someone like Odilon Redon, who also mined the depths of the imagination, comes to mind. Like Redon, Merchant embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own interpretations to the work.