On the wall

de Ellen Bethany Napier, Charles Stuckey, Judith Tannenbaum

Wallpaper is ubiquitous in domestic settings, but it has rarely been given the kind of attention bestowed on fine-art objects or other applied arts. Recently, a number of artists have discovered the potential of wallpaper as a medium for both its esthetic and political overtones. This publication documents two related exhibitions mounted at the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, and The Fabric Workshop and Museum in 2003. The images and essays explore the current, vibrant wallpaper art scene, and provide an overview of the ups and downs of wallpaper’s history as an art form. Thirty-nine contemporary artists are represented as well as relevant historical material. Essays by Judith Tannenbaum and Charles F. Stuckey. Introduction by Marion Boulton Stroud.