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The Pleasure of Patterns in Art
The interplay between repetition and variation is central to how we perceive structure, rhythm, and depth across mediums.
From the time Jacques Derrida introduced the term into contemporary critical theory in “The Truth in Painting,” its character and function have been largely understood as referencing a threshold or boundary — in particular, that of the border of the artwork. I do not think that it is stretching the point to suggest that Caillebotte’s “Paris Street; Rainy Day,” Poe’s “The Raven,” and Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll” are works of art from three distinct genres each appealing to the same cognitive function: namely, the ability to make same/except judgments establishing repetitive patterns, the detection of which, per Margulis, elevates one’s aesthetic enjoyment. In this brilliant print, Friedlander captures his view of the essence of modern America: the way in which technology, a love of the artificial and a fast fragmented lifestyle were spawning alienation and a disconnection with nature and spirituality.
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