Woman's Pocket 1935 - 1942

Joseph Lubrano made this watercolor of a Woman's Pocket sometime in the 20th century, and I just love the way he's approached the patterns. It’s not just a flat image; you can feel the texture of the fabric, the way the light catches on the weave. Look at the section with the gridded pattern, how the red floral motifs sit within the squares. It’s almost like a little world contained within each one. Then there’s the way Lubrano handles the floral design at the bottom - the way it bleeds into the ground, creating a soft, diffused effect. You can see his hand in the way he allows the colors to mingle and blend, emphasizing process over precision. It reminds me a little of some of the looser, more intuitive moments in the work of Elizabeth Murray, though Murray's is obviously more abstract. Both, though, seem to embrace the playful possibilities that come with embracing imperfection and ambiguity.