Explode 1972

Miriam Schapiro created "Explode" using fabric and paint, and I can only imagine the scene in the studio as this work came into being. She’s using what she’s got to hand, scraps of patterned fabric in reds, pinks and yellows. There’s a sense of joyful energy in the way these shapes and patterns radiate outwards, held in place on a red ground that really makes them pop. You can tell Schapiro is in love with her materials and is using them in this collage to ask questions about colour, surface, and texture. See that bold white grid on the lower left? It's such a statement. I wonder what she was thinking as she made the decision to place it there? This feels so connected to the Pattern and Decoration movement – that desire to take the so-called ‘feminine’ crafts like sewing and quilting and elevate them to the status of fine art. For Schapiro and her peers, this was about celebrating women’s creativity and pushing back against the male-dominated art world. So, when you look at this explosion of colour and pattern, remember, it’s not just a pretty picture, it’s a statement.