Pattern and Decorative Art - An American Movement

Tony Robbin

9 Patch Quilt

arcrylic fabric paper collage 1972

Miriam Schapiro

(photo of Sonya Rapoport)

In the latter part of the 20th century, one of the many signficiant yet under recognized movements emerged to be known as Pattern and Decorative Art. It's signficigance is still intrepreted today through many graphic and visual art forms not to mention its reflection on the textile industry, the iconic wrap-dress of Diane Von Furstenberg with its vibrant patterns. The sensual free-form pattern motifs in their work, fusing abstraction and representation in a distinctly pleasure based aesthetic that was embraced as a signifigant departure from the more conceptualized approach of Post-Minimal art abd Earthworks.

Considering the term "decorative" was often considered a reference to low arts, or craft, by the European and American canons, pattern repitition involving intricate work has been used in the art of many cultures including Islamic, Celtic and Byzantine. Being related to the decorative, or craft (applied) arts gave a natural link to feminist art. The P&D movement reacted against yet evolved from Minimalisim for they shared the same flattening grid while P&D art incorporated into more boldly colored creations.

From the mid-70s to the early 80s, P&D was propogated by its stars which included Cynthia Carlson, Brad Davis, Valerie Jaudon, Jane Kaufman, Robert Kushner, Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt, Kim MacConnel, Sonya Rapoport, Tony Robbin, Miriam Schapiro, Ned Smyth, Betty Woodman, George Woodman, Robert Zakanitch, Tina Giroaud and Robert Gordy.

They used materials such as tinsel, glitter, cellophane, saran wrap, sequins, beads, pearls in addition to the conventional arcrylics to explore themes and theories of feminism, religion, queer. Tony Robbins' work incorporates four dimensional geometry into architecture, intrepreted by his computer programs.