Quilted Applique Coverlet c. 1936

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Quilted Applique Coverlet," dating from around 1936. It appears to be a rendering for a textile piece. What strikes you immediately? Editor: Well, besides the clear influence of folk-art, I see echoes of celebrations of the everyday, comfort, home. There’s almost a ritualistic feel, a careful, almost mathematical symmetry and subtle romantic touches like those circular floral motifs that dominate the pattern. It is a space for a quiet reflection in my view. Curator: Precisely! Note how Loper here combined watercolor, textile, and mixed media – suggesting a keen awareness of various techniques in one art piece. I see more than a decorative drawing – but evidence of the design and manufacturing tradition behind quiltmaking. Someone, perhaps multiple hands, made this quilt, using the techniques inherited across generations and social networks. It speaks volumes about material culture and consumption. Editor: I agree, although those rose wreaths have a different narrative weight. Wreaths, of course, symbolize memory, eternity, sometimes mourning. Given this was the 1930s, the heart of the Depression, could the roses signify hope or even a longing for better times, art as solace? They soften the rigidity of the geometric background elements and provide this visual interest. Curator: Good point. The rose wreaths might have served as symbols, even as they fulfilled functional needs. The creation process – who was involved, what skills they brought, how the materials were sourced – is worth contemplating. Were there gendered labour issues here? It looks like traditional folk art, and a means to economic survival. Editor: It adds layers, doesn’t it? The geometric patterns create this grounded sensibility; meanwhile, the roses reach to the sky for salvation or freedom, visually contrasting but existing on one artistic piece. Curator: Absolutely. The quilt, or even the suggestion of one as is in this picture, brings together art, design, history, and intimate stories. It reminds me of resilience through materiality, and our connection through these very accessible, humble and functional designs. Editor: Agreed, it gives food for thoughts, it makes us question what history resides in the ordinary object and that history carries in visual representation and form.