Introduction to the pattern

Détail motif Pondichéry Perdième

On the breakfast table, between the bread crumbs and the still steaming cup of coffee, the red and white gingham lid of the jam jar. In the living room, the black and white checkerboard placed on the table, with its round checkers, motionless and lined up, quietly waiting for the next game. In the street, discovered by a gust of wind, the Haymarket Check tartan lining of the iconic trench coat Burberry elegantly worn by a passerby. On a stroll, the arabesques and geometric designs of zellige or azulejo mosaics, on the facades of traditional Moroccan or Portuguese buildings. So many examples which reveal the importance of patterns in the graphic world of our daily lives. Sensitive to the aesthetics of the prints in its range of menstrual and classic underwear , Perdième offers you a short introductory tour of what the pattern is in the graphic arts .

What is graphic pattern?

The pattern is a unitary form composed of graphic elements which, repeated several times within the same work or the same work, constitutes a coherent and harmonious visual whole.

It is a very important component of the expressive repertoire of the visual arts, that is to say, arts which appeal mainly to the sense of sight and which produce objects perceived essentially by the eye.

The pattern, an essential of applied and decorative arts

The pattern is used in traditional visual arts – drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, etc. – and new – photography, cinema, video, digital, etc. In this case, it is designed and created by an artist or visual artist who uses it in a unique creation, in a completely free manner, according to his own inspiration and personal motivations.

But it is in the field of applied arts and decorative arts that the motif is massively represented.
These branches of visual arts include design (communication – graphics, illustration, advertising, etc. –, product – furniture, textiles , styling , etc. –, space – interior architecture, events, scenography, etc. ), crafts and artistic crafts (stained glass, jewelry, ceramics, etc.).
Here, they are designers , graphic artists, creators, interior architects, etc. who design objects combining aesthetics and functionality. In general, they work in compliance with specifications established by a customer who places an order to meet a particular functional need. These objects are very often intended to be marketed and mass produced.

In design, to allow a clear and homogeneous repetition, the basic unit which is the motif is formatted in a frame, generally a square or a rectangle, thus duplicatable at will on any physical medium.

Modern industrial tools and new weaving and printing techniques facilitate the use of the pattern in many fields of application: fashion, furniture, tableware, stationery, packaging, etc.

Patchwork of images of decorative patterns

The characteristics of the pattern

The first element that allows us to distinguish and categorize patterns is simply the nature of its main form.

The reason can be:

Liberty pattern
  • floral : we include in this category all variations around plants – flowers, leaves, fruits, plants, shrubs, branches – the best known of which is the English Liberty floral print, named after its creator Sir Arthur Liberty, founder of the Liberty of London store in London;

    Animal pattern
    • animal : here we stay in the theme of nature, with all the prints inspired by the coats, plumages and scales of our animal friends: leopard, giraffe, zebra, python, peacock, etc. ;

    Burberry tartan pattern
    • geometric : lines, dots , circles, squares, triangles, diamonds, parallelograms, etc., this family brings together all the classic figures of geometry, which combined in different sizes and colors give for example the tartan , emblematic of Scottish kilts, or the marinière , historically called striped knitting;

    • Wax pattern
      ethnic : these are all the motifs borrowed from the traditional crafts of ethnic groups around the world; we therefore find the Scandinavian style pattern for Europe, the paisley pattern from India also called paisley for the Asian continent, the wax or the Berber pattern for Africa, the aboriginal pattern from Oceania or even the North American Navajo pattern ;
    Toile de Jouy pattern
    • illustrative : this set combines numerous figurative visuals, for example scenes of life or landscapes as for the famous toile de Jouy .

      To obtain a homogeneous and attractive overall visual effect, other aspects of the pattern must be taken into consideration in its composition: its size, its density, its symmetry or even its orientation.

      The pattern, a timeless source of inspiration

      Throughout the history of art, the motif has been worked on and adopted by many artists and designers. Some have created so much around the same motif, during a particular period of their life or throughout their career, that it has become their signature and contributes greatly to their fame. We can cite for example:

      • Andy Warhol , major figure of pop art, and his iconic serial representations of the American dollar sign or the international star Marilyn Monroe;

      Marilyn Diptych work by Andy Warhol Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1962, ©The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / DACS, London 2021. Photo credit: Tate

        • THE " beans ", also called "bones", by Claude Viallat : imprints of a slightly tilted, deformed and wavy rectangle, available in all colors and tirelessly repeated in his paintings since 1966 by the French painter, founding member of the Supports/Surfaces movement ;

        Work Untitled n°13 by Claude Viallat Claude Viallat, Untitled n°13, 1996, ©Galerie Templon

        • The kawaii flowers of Takashi Murakami , a visual artist from Tokyo, initiator of the Japanese contemporary art movement called “Superflat”, influenced by manga and Japanese pop culture.

        Work Flowers in Heaven by Takashi Murakami Takashi Murakami, Flowers in Heaven, 2010, ©KaiKai Kiki Co. Ltd.

          The pattern expert: the pattern designer

          The mastery of this specific art is the subject of a profession in its own right, increasingly recognized in recent years: pattern designer . These professionals have real expertise in the design of original designs consistent with the brand image of the companies that request them. They constantly imagine new combinations of shapes and colors by playing with the different characteristics previously mentioned.

          Concerned about the quality and aesthetics of its products, Perdième calls on the creative and technical talents of international pattern designers who have created very beautiful colorful prints exclusively for the brand.

          Exclusive patterns from Perdième

          At Perdième, the pattern has a very special place: it is at the heart of the brand's artistic approach. Panties and bras are adorned with delicate designs in varied styles and soft or sparkling colors; they bear the evocative names of cities around the world that echo our desire to escape.

          Pondicherry pattern Pondicherry pattern

          Osaka pattern Osaka pattern

          Budapest pattern Budapest pattern

          Macau pattern Macau pattern

          Nairobi Pattern Nairobi Pattern

          Taipei pattern Taipei pattern

          Casablanca pattern Casablanca pattern

          Without us necessarily realizing it, the pattern is everywhere! An essential component of graphic art, it is found in a very large number of objects and facets of our lives, including the outfits we wear daily. Perdième, strong from its collaborations with inspired and inspiring pattern designers , offers you its version of the textile pattern: color, finesse and invitation to travel!

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          Written by cd

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