The Artistic Use of Wallpaper on the Wall
Back in 2003 the Fabric Workshop and Museum mounted an exhibit titled On the Wall : Wallpaper and Tableau. Wallpaper by artists was incorporated as background for furniture and sculpture by other artists and was a companion exhibit to one by RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). It included works by well-known artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Curator Judith Tannenbaum pointed out that wallpaper has a difficult role. “It should be interesting enough to be noticed, but not so striking that it detracts from the furnishings, artwork, and architectural features of a room.” Tannenbaum continued, “On the Wall is an ambitious project that explores the boundaries between art and design. The cross-pollination of functional and nonfunctional forms is a complex topic currently of vital interest to a new generation of American and multinational artists… ”
Virgil Marti is an artist who creates wallpaper as his primary artwork. One of his early works incorporated pictures of all the bullies in his high school class surrounded by flowers.
He was interviewed about his work on view earlier this year at Moore College of Art and Design’s Philagrafica 2010 exhibit. The following are excerpts from that interview.
Interviewer: Have you sought to validate the imagery in your prints and wallpapers by surrounding your viewers with it?
VM: Initially my interest in wallpaper really related to thinking of it like painting. I thought of wallpaper as a material like the can of paint that you can cover the surface with from start to finish. The architecture of the building provides the plan for the image. … A lot of what I do comes out of Warhol — he is the first person I think of as an artist making wallpaper. …
Interviewer: The idea of accessibility comes up in your work, especially through the wallpaper pieces.
VM: I like that wallpaper is something that everyone has contact with. Whether or not they have it in their house, it’s something they have experience with.
Interviewer: Your earlier works are considered louder in tone. The more recent works, in comparison, are quieter. Was this a purposeful direction?
VM: When I was younger and making work I felt like I needed to get people’s attention so it made sense to make louder art. The more recent work is subtler as a symptom of having been working for a while and being able to control my voice better. I’ve also, a lot of times, made something very bright and hot and then the next piece was quieter, whiter, and colder. I’ve always worked between those two extremes.
Detail is shown below of Virgil Marti Wallpaper with Star Border and Shrooms-screen printed florescent ink and rayon flock on paper.
Although we don’t have these artists claim to fame, we like to think of Casart Coverings wallcovering as artistic on the wall backdrops, designed by artists, to enhance interior designs.
– Lorre Lei
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