Quilted Petticoat c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Rex F. Bush's "Quilted Petticoat," a drawing made with pencil on paper, around 1938. There's something so comforting about the textures and patterns; it feels almost like looking at a landscape. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I think what’s striking here is the reclaiming of domestic craft as a subject worthy of artistic attention, particularly at this time. Petticoats were deeply connected to ideas around femininity, labor, and even economic status. Considering the context, what does it tell us about the cultural value of women's work during the Depression era, when folk art experienced a resurgence? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn’t thought about the social implications of depicting something so traditionally "feminine". Does the drawing style itself add to that discussion? Curator: Absolutely. While the style leans towards academic, there’s a clear emphasis on detail and texture—the quilted pattern, the concentric circles at the hem. It acknowledges the skill involved in the petticoat's creation, elevating the everyday. Where do you see the tension, or the harmony, between the fine art technique and the folk-art subject? Editor: I see a push and pull. The refined drawing emphasizes the artistry inherent in quilt-making, almost legitimizing it. Yet, there's a sense of the quotidian… a celebration of ordinary lives and skills. I guess it reflects society's shifting appreciation for traditional roles and crafts at the time. Curator: Precisely. And considering Bush’s choices, we begin to understand how artistic expression can reframe gendered labor and cultural values. Hopefully, we start questioning assumptions and power dynamics that might usually go unnoticed in the study of craft and identity. Editor: This has completely transformed how I view the piece. Thanks for helping me look at it through that lens!