After its burst of market popularity in the 1970s and ‘80s, it’s been fairly difficult to find a critical mass of Pattern and Decoration work in major art galleries—to say nothing of museums. This feast of a show may change that, assembling works by dozens of artists from a loose movement that looked to textiles, craft, the decorative arts, and other relatively untrammeled aesthetic ground across a variety of cultures for inspiration. It’s art that takes seriously the notion of ornamentation—visual pleasure—as a noble calling, while also raising piquant political questions about the marginalization of art forms long associated with women and artisans. Bring a notebook, scrawl down a few names, and start traveling down some exciting rabbit holes. —Andrew Russeth

Installation view of “With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art 1972–1985” at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Courtesy the Museum of Contemporary Art. Photo by Jeff Mclane.