Patchwork Quilt 1935 - 1942

Editor: Here we have Daniel Fletcher’s "Patchwork Quilt," made with coloured pencil and watercolor on paper between 1935 and 1942. It’s a small, delicate drawing, but it reminds me of my grandmother’s quilts. What’s your take on this work? Curator: It’s interesting you mention your grandmother’s quilt. Quilts, and representations of them, carry significant social weight. They're often seen as domestic craft, ‘women’s work’, a humble, utilitarian object. This drawing elevates the quilt square. Do you think Fletcher’s choice to depict quilt squares, rather than creating an actual quilt, has significance? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way, but definitely. Painting these patterns makes them more precious, more like art, even if it still carries the aura of “craft.” It feels like he is legitimizing a folk-art tradition, placing it on a pedestal. Curator: Exactly! And it also speaks to the WPA Federal Art Project. Many artists during this time looked to American folk traditions as a source of national identity, celebrating everyday objects and experiences. By documenting and representing these crafts, the WPA aimed to create a distinctly American art, accessible to all. What does that say about the value that society placed on labor during this period? Editor: That’s so interesting. It feels like they were trying to record and validate overlooked skills and traditions and connect with ordinary people. Now I wonder, was this meant as a study for a quilt, or to be shown as artwork itself? Curator: It's hard to say definitively. But regardless, it makes us think about how cultural value is assigned. Editor: I’ll definitely look at quilts differently now. I never considered all those socio-political elements before! Curator: Exactly, art history can shed a new light and create new awareness on something very familiar.