Quilt c. 1936

Ellen Duncan made this quilt at some point between 1855 and 1995, and has captured its essence with pencil and watercolor. I love the palette of white, orange, brown, and yellow, and the way the striped pattern follows the undulations of the draped fabric. I can imagine Duncan sitting with her drawing, trying to capture the way the light catches on the folds, and how the fabric bunches up. Did she work from direct observation, or from memory? What did she think of the quilt and how do her memories of the quilt manifest in the drawing? There’s a lot of dialogue between different ways of seeing and experiencing the world here. I'm reminded of the work of contemporary artists who engage with textiles and pattern, like Faith Ringgold, for example. These artists share an interest in the capacity for art to embody personal and cultural narratives. Ultimately, this quilt drawing, like all forms of embodied expression, embraces ambiguity, encouraging multiple interpretations and meanings. We’re left to fill in the gaps with our own imagination and experience.