Screen painting
Photograph by tracie7779on Flickr.
The technique was painting later taken up in other neighborhoods by other artists. It is Screen painting estimated that as many as 100,000 painted screens in Baltimore once adorned the rowhomes. . He had studied commercial art and drawing before opening his Baltimore shop.
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While screen painting is now mostly regarded as urban kitsch, authentic examples can still be seen in Baltimore neighborhoods such as Hampden Screen painting or Highlandtown. Screen painting was invented by the Czech immigrant William Oktavec to restrict the sunlight entering his produce store. It is a folk art form originating in immigrant working class neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland in the early 20th century. The wire screen section of a screen door is typically painted with Screen painting bucolic landscapes, still lifes, or other subjects of interest.
The scene painted on the screen prevents the eye from focusing past the image, giving residents privacy without limiting their ability to look outside.
