Thatcher Studio has launched Flood, a new non-repeating and fully customizable mural printed on PVC-free wallpaper crafted according to environmentally conscious design principles. Flood is a painterly, translucent plane of alternating hand-poured lines of paint, emerging vertically from a crisp surface, creating an eye-catching effect. The new collection was honored with the prestigious award of Best Wallcovering at NYCxDesign Awards 2023, hosted and judged by a jury selected by Interior Design Magazine.
Inspired by the work of abstract expressionist color field painter Morris Louis, Flood is available in three colorways — Prism, Deep Ocean and Sands — and emulates Louis’ three major series of paintings between 1958 and 1962 — the Veils, Unfurleds and Stripes.
Designer Avery Thatcher, founder of Thatcher Studio, studied the work and life of Louis and was inspired by both when she conceived of the mural. Most active in the 1950s and 60s, Louis was a fairly reclusive American artist. He was primarily supported by his wife Marcella Seigel, who had a career as a writer and editor, a teacher and later a principal. Louis moved into his wife’s apartment when they were married, and he spent his days painting in the living room while she went to work.
Louis’ technique of painting his most iconic works involved the pouring of a very specific paint called Bocour Magna, a pigment-rich acrylic resin paint watered down with turpentine, down the surface of unstretched canvases. Thatcher wanted to honor Louis’ technique in order to create the mural, (minus the turpentine), so she used raw, unstretched canvas and the (less toxic) paint that the original makers of Magna later produced, Golden Acrylics, in order to achieve similar pigment-rich effects.
Flood features the same innovative, intricate technologies the Portland, Oregon-based Thatcher Studio has developed to further the company’s dedication to environmentally conscious design principles and carbon-neutral products. Flood is the newest addition in the Climate Neutral certified portfolio and offers the “best minimum” — minimal use of resources, minimalistic aesthetic, maximal versatility and the least amount of impact on the natural environment possible. This new wallcovering is just a small part of the design studio’s commitment to accelerating positive change and responsible business conduct while continuing to push the boundaries of high-quality wallcoverings through design and innovation.
