An alternative to carpets, floorcloths were popular in the newly independent USA, evidenced by Thomas Jefferson installing them in the White House.

Early floorcloths often mimicked the expensive floors they were protecting, such as parquet, tile, and marble. As the form became popular, the dominant method of freehand painting gave way to more readily reproducible techniques like stenciling and printing, often in particularly intricate patterns.

The floorcloths offered by Culture Object are produced by two different artists, Neelam Padte and Megan Enright, each working in their own unique style.

Both execute their work on heavy duty cotton canvas using durable modern paints and multiple protective coatings. Their floorcloths are available exclusively by commission and each one is created as a unique artwork.

We invite you to visit the gallery to see an example by each artist in daily use.

Neelam favors an expressive freehand abstract painting technique characterized by line drawings on flowing fields of color. Her imagery betrays her many years working in a traditional historical style, as stenciled patterns often float alongside wisps of brush strokes.

Megan’s current series is inspired by the history of Shaker Gift Drawings, decorative symbolic artworks shared among friends. Megan’s interpretation is inflected by geometries and hard-edge abstraction, executed with deft and clean precision.