Plantation

Lucienne Day was a British designer who flourished during the mid-century period, winning countless awards for her contemporary designs for fabrics, furniture and dinnerware. Day became identified with her patterns that were full of joie de vivre, as well as visual and verbal wit and natural references. This piece, entitled Plantation, depicts a lighthearted theme, as Day portrays a bird's eye view of fields and forests through arrangements of vivid blocks of color, juxtaposed with loosely-rendered stands of trees. The combination of abstraction and graphic elements is a hallmark of Day's work and here makes for a very successful and appealing composition. These elements create depth and texture for a pillow, sofa or, in this case, curtains. Day went on to design wallpaper, table linens, carpets, and porcelain, although the area of textiles remained her most successful, as well as her favorite, medium.