Tag: polka-dot

“All dots interesting–but you say nothing about the polka. Is the rosary a sort of dance?” commented Jack Foley.

There was no reason for “polka” to be linked with “dots” except, according to Wikipedia, that the dance step was very fashionable in the mid 1800’s, and thus, might be a selling point for the new dot-pattern. “Many other products and fashions of the era also adopted the polka name.”

Just as the dots give a whimsical impression, polka’s quick and light steps bring to mind the vibrancy of life.  When I see polka dots on anything I swear they dance.

As for the rosary, active counting brings believers closer to their God. Isn’t that also a kind of dance?

Polka-dots on clothing, shoes, handbags, headbands, table coverings and more. Circles of various sizes and colors, there is a whimsical side to the simple pattern that cannot be ignored. Circles are heavenly spheres, mystical, but also joyful. One comes to mind is the large round velvety-looking head of a sunflower. Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings bring me into a field of polka-dots.

But I also think of these filled circles as gentle reminder of things. Like a soft rain or the moisture of dense fog that stings the face. The persistent and numerous presence of dots are like pixels of a photograph close up. They make me wonder whether what I’m seeing will change shape and context from a different perspective.

Could polka-dots be inspired by the rosary beads, each one a prayer? Or are they a call for perfection and conformity? Or am I taking these dots a bit too far…