Patchwork Quilt c. 1937

Editor: So, this is "Patchwork Quilt," from around 1937, by George V. Vezolles. It looks like a drawing of a textile, actually. The geometric pattern is very orderly, almost soothing. What strikes you about it? Curator: The rigid geometry interests me in relation to folk art, and textiles in particular. Quilts historically provided warmth, community, and even coded messages within specific social groups. Editor: Coded messages? Like, secret symbols? Curator: Exactly! Especially within marginalized communities, quilts were sometimes used to signal safe houses on the Underground Railroad, or to communicate aspects of identity otherwise suppressed by dominant social structures. It wasn't always overt, but the choice of patterns and colors could be deeply significant. Does this example offer such information? Editor: It's hard to tell from a drawing. Do you think its creation was a political act or perhaps more about preservation of traditions? Curator: Given the date, the late 1930s, it likely reflects both. This was a time of great social upheaval and also a period when there was heightened appreciation and valorization of folk art traditions. So its creation may represent both a reclaiming of heritage and a form of resistance. What kind of patronage system, you think, supported this work? Editor: Perhaps a WPA arts project, given the time? Although folk art wasn't usually what comes to mind. Curator: Precisely! Seeing this artwork encourages reflection on the forces that determine which artistic voices and practices are amplified and which remain unseen, the art world’s own quilt, if you will. Editor: I see what you mean. I'll definitely be more attentive to that history now. Thanks!