Swatches c. 1939

Catherine Fowler made these swatches, we think, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century, with watercolour and graphite on paper. I can imagine Catherine experimenting, playing with pattern and rhythm. They almost feel like musical scores, or dances, with their swirling and repeating motifs. I wonder, were these designs for textiles, wallpapers, or just explorations of form? I bet she was staring at a textile sample one day and thought to herself I could do that, and better! The warm earth tones and reds give a sense of intimacy, like looking at a well-loved quilt or a faded photograph. I am drawn to the bottom-left swatch, the way the lines converge and create diamond shapes. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but with a softer, more organic feel. It also makes me think of the work of the quilters of Gee's Bend. See how the way the motifs repeat invites multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed readings? These patterns carry a kind of intuitive knowledge, a conversation across time.