Stripey Art

soothing art to stare at just in case you're grumpy

I’ve decided that I’m opening an art gallery, but that art gallery is mostly hypothetical and exists as a newsletter on the internet. Welcome, and thanks for coming.

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Ok, I had a rough week and I have the hormonal acne to show for it. So, for this week’s Gallery Blerf exhibit, what if you and I just walked around in companionable silence and decompress while viewing some art in one of of my favorite genres? That genre is STRIPES.

Also, I acknowledge that “stripes” may not be an actual art genre but I submit that perhaps it should be.

Maesta (1983) by Sean Scully, my BFF Kathryn, for scale

Sean Scully

Maesta, 1983

I communed with this piece on my recent trip to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I can’t stop thinking about it, nor can I stop thinking about this little sentence written on the plaque:

“Sean Scully says that his stripes ‘push out into the world, trying to be more than paintings.”.

Gosh, do I love that.

Construction #17 by Nancy Crow with primo wonkiness

Nancy Crow

Construction #17, 1998

This art quilt by Nancy Crow is incredible. The movement of the stripes. The soft gradients of color. The wonkiness.

Vesi print for Marimekko being real cute

Maija Isola for Marimekko

Vesi, 1977

Marimekko is famous for its florals, but their stripe patterns are equally fascinating. This pattern in particular has slightly irregular thin stripes, and it’s still used in Marimekko’s current collection.

Stripes are just lines, really, but also they can….communicate stuff, you know?

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That’s it! I hope some interesting striped thing catches your eye this week and/or that something great happens to you. Perhaps that great thing will be a cinnamon roll or a well-timed nap.

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GALLERY BOOKSTORE

The Complete Pattern Directory: they mean “complete”! This book is stuffed to the brim with patterns from “all ages and cultures”. I flip through my copy often and I regularly find something I haven’t seen before.

Marimekko: The Art of Print Making: Marimekko is a big inspiration for my own work and this book contains all of the brand’s history, iconic patterns and other lovely visuals from the past several decades.

Dusen Dusen Terrycloth Tote Bag: had to share something striped for the bookstore this week, and Dusen Dusen does stripes so darn well.

The Selby Comes Home: I’ve been looking forward to the release of this book and I am not disappointed. All the home tours in it feature families with kids and all of them are SO wacky and cool.

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PAIRS WELL WITH

Incredible art in the genre of stripes by Matt Kleberg | The best caption if you need a laugh —of course from BJ Novak | Thoughts on ‘simple’ art

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Wishing you many visual treats this week! Also, if you’re an artist and you’d like to send along your work, I’d love to see. Just hit reply ;-)

Cya,

Rachel