Wall Stencil 1935 - 1942

Mildred Bent made this wall stencil, and you know, I can almost see her in her studio, carefully layering the colors and shapes, figuring out the composition through intuition, just like I do. The dominant tones are these soft reds and greens, arranged in a way that makes me think about folk art traditions, but it also puts me in mind of the Pattern and Decoration movement from the 70s. I wonder if she ever saw those works, or if it’s just a happy coincidence. Look at how the leaves and birds create a rhythm across the surface, each element a little different, a little off, but together making something new. There is something so direct about painting - you make a mark, you react to it, you make another mark, you build something out of nothing. I like to think of artists like Mildred, and all of us, really, participating in this ongoing conversation with each other, across time and space.