Rose Wylie

In this painting, Rose Wylie combines various motifs that do not come together to tell a specific story. As the title suggests, Wylie works through visual impressions from the film Bagdad Cafe. The central figure in a white lace dress and green hat is the café owner Brenda, one of the main characters. By contrast, the right side is not related to the film. Instead, it reflects everyday moments from Wylie’s life, including a coffee stain, her mouth licking a spoon, and flowers from her garden. The lines and numbers in the background refer to sketches that Wylie recorded in her planner and then incorporated into the painting. In her studio, Wylie often works on several paintings at the same time. If these paintings, which were conceived as independent works, create an intriguing composition when viewed together, the artist combines them into a multi-part painting.