Vines from The Joy of Ornament

About this artwork

**Vines from *The Joy of Ornament Robert Kushner, 1980 Etching, aquatint, and drypoint on wove Arches paper Step into the lush world of Robert Kushner's *Vines*, a captivating print from the 1980 portfolio *The Joy of Ornament This delicate etching, aquatint, and dry—measuring just 22.5 x 10.2 cm on its plate—captures twisting vines in a celebration of organic exuberance. Kushner, a leading figure in the Pattern and Decoration movement of the late 1970s and 1980s, championed ornamental beauty at a time when modernist austerity dominated art. His work rebelled against minimalism, embracing vibrant patterns inspired by nature, textiles, and global crafts to reclaim decoration as high art. The techniques shine here: etching carves precise lines into a metal plate, aquatint adds rich tonal washes for depth and texture, and drypoint's direct burr creates soft, velvety strokes that evoke the vine's tender growth. Printed on premium wove Arches paper, this piece is one of 17 etchings/aquatints and three drypoints in the full portfolio, gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Kathan Brown. *Vines* invites visitors to revel in the joy of intricate detail, reminding us that ornament isn't mere embellishment—it's a profound expression of life's abundance.